Search

A structural modification strategy to improve the photocatalytic performance of a series of cerium(iii) bis(guanidinate) mono(amide) molecular luminophores was demonstrated. Reducing the steric bulkiness of the amide ligand gave rise to two categories of complexes with distinct photophysical and photochemical properties. A structural parameter, the amide cone angle (ϑ), was applied to differentiate the two categories. Complexes with smaller cone angles (ϑ ＜ 156°, category B) exhibited more reducing potentials and faster electron-transfer rates than those of complexes with larger cone angles (ϑ ＞ 173°, category A). And only complexes in the category B could achieve the photocatalytic phenylation of an aryl bromide. These results demonstrated that reducing the steric bulkiness of the amide ligand improved the performance of cerium(iii) bis(guanidinate) mono(amide) photocatalysts in a systematic manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthetic methods for the coordination of the monoanionic bis[2-(diisopropylphosphino)-4-methylphenyl]amido (PNP) ligand framework to the cerium(III) cation have been developed and applied for the isolation of a series of {(PNP)Ce} and {(PNP)2Ce} type complexes. The structures of the complexes were studied by X-ray diffraction and multinuclear NMR spectroscopy. We found that the cerium(III) ion can induce the elimination of one of the iPr groups at phosphorus to yield a new dianionic PNP tridentate framework (PNP- iPr) featuring a phosphido-donor functionality, which is bound to the cerium ion with the shortest known Ce−P bond of 2.7884(14) Å for molecular compounds. The reaction of the complex [(PNP)Ce{N(SiMe3)2}2] ( 1) with Ph2CO gave the Ce-bound product of C−C coupling, -N(SiMe3)SiMe2CH2-CPh2O−, through the C−H bond activation of a SiMe3 group. 31P NMR spectroscopy was used to estimate the presence of a vacant coordination position at the cerium ion in the CeIII-PNP complexes by the examination of the δ(31P) shift recorded both in non-polar (C6D6) and polar ([D8]THF) solvents. Moreover, 31P NMR spectroscopy was also found to be a useful tool for the estimation of the Ce−P bond distances in {(PNP)CeIII} and {(PNP)2CeIII} systems. Electrochemical and computational studies for 1 and its lanthanum analogue containing a redox-innocent metal center revealed the stabilization of the CeIII oxidation state by the PNP ligand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coordination chemistry of complexes featuring a PNP ligand framework and the redox active lanthanide ion, cerium(III), was initiated. The cerium(III) ion induced the transformation of one of the phosphino donor arms at a parent PNP ligand into a new phosphido functionality. The Ce−PNP systems were also employed for C−C bond‐forming reactions and the molecular structures of Ce−PNP complexes were studied both in solution and in the solid state. More information can be found in the Full Paper by O. V. Ozerov, E. J. Schelter et al. on page 17923. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two complete mixed-ligand series of luminescent CeIII complexes with the general formulas Me3Si)2NC(NiPr)2]xCeIII[N(SiMe3)2]3-x (x = 0, 1-N; x = 1, 2-N, x = 2, 3-N; x = 3, 4) and Me3Si)2NC(NiPr)2]xCeIII(OAr)3--x (x = 0, 1-OAr; x = 1, 2-OAr, x = 2, 3-OAr; x = 3, 4) were developed, featuring photoluminescence quantum yields up to 0.81(2) and lifetimes to 117(1) ns. Although the 4f → 5d absorptive transitions for these complexes were all found at ca. 420 nm, their emission bands exhibited large Stokes shifts with maxima occurring at 553 nm for 1-N, 518 nm for 2-N, 508 nm for 3-N, and 459 nm for 4, featuring yellow, lime-green, green, and blue light, respectively. Combined time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations and spectroscopic studies suggested that the long-lived ²D excited states of these complexes corresponded to singly occupied 5dz² orbitals. The observed difference in the Stokes shifts was attributed to the relaxation of excited states through vibrational processes facilitated by the ligands. The photochemistry of the sterically congested complex 4 was demonstrated by C--C bond forming reaction between 4-fluoroiodobenzene and benzene through an outer sphere electron transfer pathway, which expands the capabilities of cerium photosensitizers beyond our previous results that demonstrated inner sphere halogen atom abstraction reactivity by 1-N. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular cerium complexes are a new class of tunable and energy-efficient visible- and UV-luminophores. Understanding and controlling the emission brightness and color are important for tailoring them for new and specialized applications. Herein, we describe the experimental and computational analyses for series of tris(guanidinate) (1-8, Ce{(R2N)-C(NiPr)2}3, R = alkyl, silyl, or phenyl groups), guanidinate-amide [GA, A = N(SiMe3)2, G = (Me3Si)2NC(NiPr)2], and guanidinatearyloxide (GOAr, OAr = 2,6-di-tert-butylphenoxide) cerium(III) complexes to understand and develop predictive capabilities for their optical properties. Structural studies performed on complexes 1-8 revealed marked differences in the steric encumbrance around the cerium center induced by various guanidinate ligand backbone substituents, a property that was correlated to photoluminescent quantum yield. Computational studies revealed that consecutive replacements of the amide and aryloxide ligands by guanidinate ligand led to less nonradiative relaxation of bright excited states and smaller Stokes shifts. The results establish a comprehensive structure-luminescence model for molecular cerium(III) luminophores in terms of both quantum yields and colors. The results provide a clear basis for the design of tunable, molecular, cerium-based, luminescent materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Structurally authenticated, terminal lanthanide-ligand multiple bonds are rare and expected to be highly reactive. Even capped with an alkali metal cation, poor orbital energy matching and overlap of metal and ligand valence orbitals should result in strong charge polarization within such bonds. We expand on a new strategy for isolating terminal lanthanide-ligand multiple bonds using cerium(IV) complexes. In the current case, our tailored tris(hydroxylaminato) ligand framework, TriNOx3-, provides steric protection against ligand scrambling and metal complex oligomerization and electronic protection against reduction. This strategy culminates in isolation of the first formal Ce=N bonded moiety in the complex [K(DME)2][Ce=N(3,5-(CF3)2C6H3)(TriNOx)], whose Ce=N bond is the shortest known at 2.119(3) Å. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]