Reactions of the tertiary phosphines R(3)P (R = Me, Bu, Oct, Cy, Ph) with 35% aqueous H(2)O(2) gives the corresponding oxides as the H(2)O(2) adducts R(3)P=O·(H(2)O(2))(x) (x = 0.5-1.0). Air oxidation leads to a mixture of products due to the insertion of oxygen into one or more P-C bonds. (31)P NMR spectroscopy in solution and in the solid state, as well as IR spectroscopy reveal distinct features of the phosphine oxides as compared to their H(2)O(2) adducts. The single crystal X-ray analyses of Bu(3)P=O and [Cy(3)P=O·(H(2)O(2))](2) show a P=O stacking motif for the phosphine oxide and a cyclic structure, in which the six oxygen atoms exhibit a chair conformation for the dimeric H(2)O(2) adduct. Different methods for the decomposition of the bound H(2)O(2) and the removal of the ensuing strongly adsorbed H(2)O are evaluated. Treating R(3)P=O·(H(2)O(2))(x) with molecular sieves destroys the bound H(2)O(2) safely under mild conditions (room temperature, toluene) within one hour and quantitatively removes the adsorbed H(2)O from the hygroscopic phosphine oxides within four hours. At 60 °C the entire decomposition/drying process is complete within one hour.

The electrocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2) could be a powerful tool for generating chemical fuels and feedstock molecules relevant to the chemical industry. One of the major challenges for molecular catalysts remains the necessity of high overpotentials, which can be overcome by identifying novel routes that improve the energetic reaction trajectory of critical intermediates during catalysis. In this combined experimental and computational study, we show that imidazolium functionalization of molecular fac-Mn­(CO)3 bipyridine complexes results in CO2 reduction at mild electrochemical potentials in the presence of H2O. Importantly, our studies suggest that imidazolium groups in the secondary coordination sphere promote the formation of a local hydration shell that facilitates the protonation of CO2 reduction intermediates. As such, we propose a synergistic relationship between the functionalized catalyst and H2O, which stands in contrast to other systems in which the presence of H2O frequently has detrimental effects on catalysis.

A twisted mimic: Upon oxidation of [(μ‐SCH2C(CH3)2CH2S‐){FeI(CO)2PMe3}2], rearrangement yields the mixed‐valent FeIFeII cation in a square‐pyramid/inverted square‐pyramid geometry with a semibridging CO ligand, closely mimicking the [FeFe] hydrogenase enzyme active site. According to de novo design principles, the steric effect of bridgehead bulk in the S–S bridging ligand stabilizes this structure in the absence of the protein matrix.

Solid-state NMR spectroscopy of selected phosphine oxides adsorbed on silica surfaces establishes the surface mobilities, even of phosphine oxides with high melting points. Crystal structures of the adducts Ph3 PO⋅HOSiPh3 and Cy3 PO⋅H2 O indicate that the interactions with silica involve hydrogen bonding of the P=O group to adsorbed water and surface silanol groups.

A novel water soluble ligand-bridged cobalt(II) coordination polymer has been synthesized by reacting the new ligand, 2-oxo-1,2-dihydroquinoline-3-carbaldehyde (isonicotinic) hydrazone (H 2 L) with Co (NO 3 ) 2 •6H 2 O and characterized by spectral, analytical and structural methods. Single crystal X-ray diffraction studies revealed that the Co(II) complex, {[Co(H 2 L)(H 2 O) 2 ](NO 3 ) 2 •3H 2 O} n has a slightly distorted octahedral geometry around the central Co(II) ion; the ligand is coordinated through the ONO donor atoms to one Co(II) metal center and bridged through the pyridine nitrogen atom to another similar Co(II) center so as to form a one-dimensional polymeric unit. The interaction of the ligand and the complex with calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA) has been explored by absorption and emission titration methods, which revealed that the compounds could interact with CT-DNA through intercalation. The interactions of the compounds with bovine serum albumin (BSA) were also investigated using UVvisible, fluorescence and synchronous fluorescence spectroscopic methods. The results indicated that the complex exhibited a strong binding to BSA over the ligand. Investigation of the antioxidative properties showed that the polymeric Co(II) complex has a strong radical scavenging potency against hydroxyl radicals, 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl radicals, nitric oxide and superoxide anion radicals. Further, the cytotoxic effect of the compounds examined on cancerous cell lines, such as human cervical cancer cells (HeLa), human laryngeal epithelial carcinoma cells (HEp-2), human liver carcinoma cells (Hep G2), human skin cancer cells (A431) and non-cancerous NIH 3T3 mouse embryonic fibroblasts cell lines showed that the complex exhibited substantial anticancer activity.

Aqueous hydrogen peroxide is widely used as an oxidizing agent in industry and academia. Herein, the hydrogen peroxide adducts of phosphine oxides, [tBu3PO⋅H2O2]2 and [Ph3PO⋅H2O2]2⋅H2O2, are described. Additionally, the corresponding di(hydroperoxy)propane adducts R3PO⋅(HOO)2CMe2 (R=Cy, Ph) were synthesized and characterized. All adducts could be obtained as large single crystals suitable for structural characterization by X-ray crystallography and solid-state NMR spectroscopy. The di(hydroperoxy)propane adducts are soluble in organic solvents which enables oxidation reactions in one phase. As the adducts are solid and molecular, they can easily be applied stoichiometrically. No loss of oxidizing power occurs upon long-term storage of the single crystals at room temperature or the powders at -20 °C.

Ruthenocene, bis(indenyl)ruthenium, bis(tetrahydroindenyl)ruthenium, cyclododecane, ferrocene, and ferrocene-d 2 have been adsorbed on silica surfaces by grinding the polycrystalline materials with silica. The adsorption process proceeds without solvent and is practically complete within 2 h. Its progress is monitored by 1H, 13C, and 2H solid-state NMR spectroscopy. The transition from the crystal lattice to the surface species that are highly mobile is proven by strongly reduced chemical shift anisotropies and diminished dipolar interactions. Furthermore, the residual line widths are reduced. All solid-state NMR spectra indicate that the transition from a monolayer to the crystalline state is abrupt, and no multiple layers form on the surfaces. A correlation between surface coverage and 2H residual line widths has been established. Besides a hydrophobic dry silica surface, wet and TMS-capped silica have been used as supports. The adsorption leads to the highest surface coverages and most mobile species for the surface of rigorously dried silica. The 2H MAS spectra of surface-adsorbed ferrocene-d 2 prove that the motion of the metallocenes on the surfaces is fast and nearly isotropic, as in solution. Consequently, it is demonstrated that 1H and 13C NMR spectra of adsorbed ferrocene can be recorded using a conventional liquids NMR instrument.

Synthetic analogues and computationally assisted structure-function analyses have been used to explore the features that control proton-electron and proton-hydride coupling in electrocatalysts inspired by the [NiFe]-hydrogenase active site. Of the bimetallic complexes derived from aggregation of the dithiolato complexes MNS (NS = bismercaptoethane diazacycloheptane; M = Ni or Fe(NO)) with (η-CH)Fe(CO) (the Fe' component) or (η-CH)Fe(CO), Fe″, which yielded Ni-Fe', Fe-Fe', Ni-Fe″, and Fe-Fe″, respectively, both Ni-Fe' and Fe-Fe' were determined to be active electrocatalysts for H production in the presence of trifluoroacetic acid. Correlations of electrochemical potentials and H generation are consistent with calculated parameters in a predicted mechanism that delineates the order of addition of electrons and protons, the role of the redox-active, noninnocent NO ligand in electron uptake, the necessity for Fe'-S bond breaking (or the hemilability of the metallodithiolate ligand), and hydride-proton coupling routes. Although the redox active {Fe(NO)} moiety can accept and store an electron and subsequently a proton (forming the relatively unstable Fe-bound HNO), it cannot form a hydride as the NO shields the Fe from protonation. Successful coupling occurs from a hydride on Fe' with a proton on thiolate S and requires a propitious orientation of the H-S bond that places H and H within coupling distance. This orientation and coupling barrier are redox-level dependent. While the Ni-Fe' derivative has vacant sites on both metals for hydride formation, the uptake of the required electron is more energy intensive than that in Fe-Fe' featuring the noninnocent NO ligand. The Fe'-S bond cleavage facilitated by the hemilability of thiolate to produce a terminal thiolate as a proton shuttle is a key feature in both mechanisms. The analogous Fe″-S bond cleavage on Ni-Fe″ leads to degradation.