Nickel (Ni(Sal(CF3))) and copper (Cu(Sal(CF3))) complexes of an electron-poor salen ligand were prepared, and their one-electron oxidized counterparts were studied using an array of spectroscopic and theoretical methods. The electrochemistry of both complexes exhibited quasi-reversible redox processes at higher potentials in comparison to the M(Sal(R)) (R = (t)Bu, OMe, NMe2) analogues, in line with the electron-withdrawing nature of the para-CF3 substituent. Chemical oxidation, monitored by ultraviolet-visible-near-infrared (UV-vis-NIR) spectroscopy, afforded their corresponding one-electron oxidized products. Ligand-based oxidation was observed for [Ni(Sal(CF3))](+•), as evidenced by sharp NIR transitions in the UV-vis-NIR spectrum and a broad isotropic signal at g = 2.067 by solution electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Such sharp NIR transitions observed for [Ni(Sal(CF3))](+•) are indicative of a delocalized electronic structure, which is in good agreement with electrochemical measurements and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. In addition, the increased Lewis acidity of [Ni(Sal(CF3))](+•), evident from the EPR g-value and DFT calculations, was further quantified by the binding affinity of axial ligands to [Ni(Sal(CF3))](+•). For [Cu(Sal(CF3))](+), an intense ligand-to-metal charge transfer band at 18 700 cm(-1) in the UV-vis-NIR spectrum was observed, which is diagnostic for the formation of a Cu(III) species [J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2008, 130, 15448-15459]. The Cu(III) character for [Cu(Sal(CF3))](+) is further confirmed by (19)F NMR analysis. Taken together, these results show that the electron-deficient salen ligand H2Sal(CF3) increases the Lewis acidity of the coordinating metal center.

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(1c), were prepared and the electronic structure of the oneelectron oxidized species [1a-c] + were investigated in solution. The solid-state structures of 1a and 1b were solved by X-ray crystallography, and in the case of 1b an asymmetric UO2 2+ unit was found due to an intermolecular hydrogen bonding interaction. Electrochemical investigation of 1a-c by cyclic voltammetry showed that each complex exhibited at least one quasi-reversible redox process assigned to the oxidation of the phenolate moieties to phenoxyl radicals. The trend in redox potentials matches the electron-donating ability of the para-phenolate substituents. The electron paramagnetic resonance spectra of cations

The electron-rich pincer ligand 1 has been synthesized and chelated to manganese. The octahedral Mn(iv) bis(diiminosemiquinonate) and Mn(v) (diiminobenzoquinone) (diiminosemiquinonate) radicals were structurally characterized.

The design and synthesis of a supramolecular square was achieved by coordination-driven assembly of redox-active nickel(ii) salen linkers and (ethylenediamine)palladium(ii) nodes.

A synthetic, structural and theoretical investigation into the solid-state, solution and gas phase structure(s) of six 2-acylmethyl-4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazolines is reported. Four of these materials, viz.α-[(4,5-dihydro-4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazolyl)methylene]benzenemethanol (3a), α-[(4,5-dihydro-4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazolyl)methylene]-(4-nitrobenzene)methanol (3b), 1-(4,5-dihydro-4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazolyl)-3,3-dimethyl-1-buten-2-ol (3d) and (E)-1-phenyl-2-((3aR)-3,3a,8,8a-tetrahydro-2H-indeno[1,2-d]oxazol-2-ylidene)ethanone (3f) have been characterised in the solid-state by single crystal X-ray diffraction studies. These data represent the first solid-state structural studies of this class of compounds and details the first synthesis and full characterisation of chiral derivative 3f. All four of these materials are shown to exist in the solid phase in the enamine tautomeric form (e.g., 3a is best described as 2-[4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazolidinylidene]-1-phenylethanone) and it is suggested (NMR, IR) that this isomeric form is likely also retained in solution (e.g., CDCl3) as the more stable isomer. An investigation of the relative gas phase stabilities of the three possible (i.e., the (Z)-enol, keto and enamine) isomers of all five compounds by DFT at the B3LYP/6-311G(d) level of theory confirms the latter as the most stable form. The energy differences between the enamine and keto tautomers have been calculated to be the lowest for derivative 3d. These results are compared and contrasted with the previously reported NMR studies of such compounds which have identified the keto form as being a minor (albeit solution) tautomer. Equilibrium solution tautomer distributions for 3d are found to be solvent dependent. The protonated form of 3a, isolated as the HSO4(-) salt (i.e.4a), has been further characterised in the solid state by single crystal X-ray diffraction. These data represent the first example of a protonated oxazoline to be structurally elucidated and confirms that upon protonation, the keto (oxazoline) tautomer is the energetically favoured form in the solid-state. This observation is further supported by DFT studies for the gas phase protonated forms of such materials. Further DFT (B3LYP/6-311G(d)) calculations employing the SM8 or SMD solvation models were then applied to address the observed solution isomeric distribution for 3d; these results corroborate the gas phase theoretical treatment and also yield values that predict the higher solution stability of the enamine form as observed, although they fail to account for the existence of the keto form as a minor solution state tautomer. To access the availability of an enol-form, via hypothetical de-protonation to the enolate, compound 3a was treated with hydrated Cu(NO3)2 in EtOH solution. The resulting isolated green-coloured product (5), the first metal derivative of this entire class of ligands, is best described (IR, X-ray diffraction) as a coordinated enolate complex, i.e., Cu(3a-H)2. Complex 5 crystallizes in the P21/c space group with four molecules in the unit cell. T...

Liquid crystalline self-assembly offers the potential to create highly ordered, uniformly aligned, and defect-free thin-film organic semiconductors. Analogues of one of the more promising classes of liquid crystal semiconductors, 5,5”-dialkyl-α-terthiophenes, were prepared in order to investigate the effects of replacing the central thiophene with either an oxadiazole or a thiadiazole ring. The phase behaviour was examined by differential scanning calorimetry, polarized optical microscopy, and variable temperature x-ray diffraction. While the oxadiazole derivative was not liquid crystalline, thiadiazole derivatives formed smectic C and soft crystal lamellar phases, and maintained lamellar order down to room temperature. Variation of the terminal alkyl chains also influenced the observed phase sequence. Single crystal structures revealed the face-to-face orientation of molecules within the layers in the solid-state, a packing motif that is rationalized based on the shape and dipole of the thiadiazole ring, as corroborated by density functional theory (DFT) calculations. The solution opto-electronic properties of the systems were characterized by absorption and emission spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT).

The Ni salen complex N,N′-bis(2,3,4-trimethoxysalicylidene)-1,2-cyclohexane-(1R,2R)-diamine nickel(II) (1), containing ortho-, meta-, and para-methoxy-substituted phenolate moieties, was prepared. Electrochemical studies revealed that the first oxidation of 1 occurs at a similar potential to a previously reported Ni salen complex NiSal tBu,OMe , employing an ortho-tBu and para-methoxy substitution pattern (M. Orio et al., Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2010, 49, 4989), demonstrating the counteracting effects of the methoxy substituent depending on ring location (ortho/para vs. meta). The second oxidation occurred at a much lower potential (E 1/2 2 -E 1/2 1 = 0.11 V) for 1, in comparison to NiSal tBu,OMe , suggesting significant localization of the [a]