The role of NO in biology is well established. However, an increasing body of evidence suggests that azanone (HNO), could also be involved in biological processes, some of which are attributed to NO. In this context, one of the most important and yet unanswered questions is whether and how HNO is produced in vivo. A possible route concerns the chemical or enzymatic reduction of NO. In the present work, we have taken advantage of a selective HNO sensing method, to show that NO is reduced to HNO by biologically relevant alcohols with moderate reducing capacity, such as ascorbate or tyrosine. The proposed mechanism involves a nucleophilic attack to NO by the alcohol, coupled to a proton transfer (PCNA: proton-coupled nucleophilic attack) and a subsequent decomposition of the so-produced radical to yield HNO and an alkoxyl radical.

This work reports on the synthesis and in-depth electrochemical and photochemical characterization of two chromium(0) and molydenum(0) metal complexes with bidentate pyridyl-mesoionic carbene (MIC) ligands of the 1,2,3-triazol-5ylidene type and carbonyl coligands. Metal complexes with MIC ligands have turned out to have very promising electrocatalytic and photochemical properties, but examples of MIC-containing complexes with early-transition-metal centers remain extremely rare. The electrochemistry of these new MIC complexes was studied by cyclic voltammetry and especially spectroelectrochemistry in the IR region consistent with a mainly metal-centered oxidation, which is fully reversible in the case of the chromium(0) complex. At the same time, the two reduction steps are predominantly ligandcentered according to the observed near-IR absorbance, with the first reduction step being reversible for both systems. The results of the electron paramagnetic resonance studies on the oxidized and reduced species confirm the IR spectroelectrochemistry experiments. The photochemical reactivity of the complexes with a series of organic ligands was investigated by time-resolved (stepscan) Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. Interestingly, the photoreactions in pyridine and acetonitrile are fully reversible with a slow dark reverse reaction back to the educt species over minutes and even hours, depending on the metal center and reagent. This reversible behavior is in contrast to the expected loss of one or several CO ligands known from related homoleptic as well as heteroleptic M(CO) 4 L 2 α-diimine transition-metal complexes.

We report powder and single crystal EPR measurements of [Cu(tda)(phen)](2)·H(2)tda (tda = thiodiacetate, phen = phenanthroline) at 9.7 GHz. This compound consists of centrosymmetric copper(II) ion dimers, weakly ferromagnetically exchange-coupled (J = +3.2 cm(-1)), in which the dimeric units are linked by hydrophobic chemical paths involving the phen molecules. EPR revealed that the triplet spectra are collapsed by interdimeric exchange interactions mediated by that chemical path. Analysis and simulation of the single crystal EPR spectra were performed using Anderson's exchange narrowing model, together with statistical arguments. This approach allowed us to interpret the spectra modulated by the interdimeric interactions in situations of weak, intermediate, and strong exchange. We evaluated an interdimeric exchange constant J' = 0.0070(3) cm(-1), indicating that hydrophobic paths can transmit weak exchange interactions between centers at relatively long distances of the order of ∼10 Å.

We report the synthesis and X-ray structure of the dimeric zinc (II) compound [Zn(tda)(phen)] 2 •H 2 tda, (tda = thiodiacetic acid, phen = 1,10-phenanthroline) hereafter Zn(tda)(phen), and a single crystal EPR study of Zn(tda)(phen) doped with Cu(II)ions. Zn(tda)(phen) is isomorphous to its Cu(II) analogue. The EPR spectra show a central signal composed of one to four resonances assigned to Cu-Zn heterodimers, flanked by less intense satellite signals assigned to Cu-Cu homodimers. Analysis of single crystal EPR data allowed us to determine the g-and A-matrices of the Cu(II) ion and the anisotropic ZFS parameters of the homodimer. Within the experimental error, the Cu(II) g-matrix obtained for the diluted compound was identical to that previously determined by us in pure Cu(tda)(phen). The ZFS is shown to be dominated by magnetic dipolar coupling between the unpaired electrons mainly centered around the Cu(II) ions, although partially delocalized over the equatorial copper ligands. DFT calculations yielded spin population values compatible with those determined from the analysis of the anisotropic ZFS assuming a distributed dipole model. The information obtained from the diluted compound was used to evaluate the interdimeric exchange interaction between dimeric units in pure Cu(tda)(phen). The comparison between both point and distributed dipole approximations is discussed with reference to the analysis of the EPR data.

The reduction of NO(•) to HNO/NO(-) under biologically compatible conditions has always been thought as unlikely, mostly because of the negative reduction potential: E°(NO(•),H(+)/HNO) = -0.55 V vs NHE at physiological pH. Nonetheless, during the past decade, several works hinted at the possible NO-to-HNO conversion mediated by moderate biological reductants. Very recently, we have shown that the reaction of NO(•) with ascorbate and aromatic alcohols occurs through a proton-coupled nucleophilic attack (PCNA) of the alcohol to NO(•), yielding an intermediate RO-N(H)O(•) species, which further decomposes to release HNO. For the present work, we decided to inspect whether other common biological aromatic alcohols obtained from foods, such as Vitamin E, or used as over-the-counter drugs, like aspirin, are able to undergo the reaction. The positive results suggest that the conversion of NO to HNO could occur far more commonly than previously expected. Taking these as the starting point, we set to review our and other groups' previous reports on the possible NO-to-HNO conversion mediated by biological compounds including phenolic drugs and vitamins, as well as several thiol-bearing compounds. Analysis of revised data prompted us to ask ourselves the following key questions: What are the most likely physio/pathological conditions for NO(•)-to-HNO conversion to take place? Which effects usually attributed to NO(•) are indeed mediated by HNO? These inquiries are discussed in the context of 2 decades of NO and HNO research.

Two Co(III) complexes (1Py 2 and 2Py 2) of new corrole l i g a n d s H 3 L 1 (5 , 1 5-b i s (p-m e t h y l c a r b o x y p h e n y l)-1 0-(omethylcarboxyphenyl)corrole) and H 3 L2 (5,15-bis(p-nitrophenyl)-10-(o-methylcarboxyphenyl)corrole) with two apical pyridine ligands have been synthesized and thoroughly characterized by cyclic voltammetry, UV−vis−NIR, and EPR spectroscopy, spectroelectrochemistry, singlecrystal X-ray diffraction studies, and DFT methods. Complexes 1Py 2 and 2Py 2 possess much lower oxidation potentials than cobalt(III)-trispentafluorophenylcorrole (Co(tpfc)) and similar corroles containing pentafluorophenyl (C 6 F 5) substituents, thus allowing access to high oxidation states of the former metallocorroles using mild chemical oxidants. The spectroscopic (UV−vis−NIR and EPR) and electronic properties of several oxidation states of these complexes have been determined by a combination of the mentioned methods. Complexes 1Py 2 and 2Py 2 undergo three oxidations within 1.3 V vs FcH + /FcH in MeCN, and we show that both complexes catalyze water oxidation in an MeCN/H 2 O mixture upon the third oxidation, with k obs (TOF) values of 1.86 s −1 at 1.29 V (1Py 2) and 1.67 s −1 at 1.37 V (2Py 2). These values are five times higher than previously reported TOF values for C 6 F 5-substituted cobalt(III) corroles, a finding we ascribe to the additional charge in the corrole macrocycle due to the increased oxidation state. This work opens up new possibilities in the study of metallocorrole water oxidation catalysts, particularly by allowing spectroscopic probing of high-oxidation states and showing strong substituent-effects on catalytic activity of the corrole complexes.

We report single-crystal X-band EPR and magnetic measurements of the coordination polymer catena-(trans-(μ2-fumarato)tetraaquacobalt(II)), 1, and the Co(II)-doped Zn(II) analogue, 2, in different Zn:Co ratios. 1 presents two magnetically inequivalent high spin S = 3/2 Co(II) ions per unit cell, named A and B, in a distorted octahedral environment coordinated to four water oxygen atoms and trans coordinated to two carboxylic oxygen atoms from the fumarate anions, in which the Co(II) ions are linked by hydrogen bonds and fumarate molecules. Magnetic susceptibility and magnetization measurements of 1 indicate weak antiferromagnetic exchange interactions between the S = 3/2 spins of the Co(II) ions in the crystal lattice. Oriented single crystal EPR experiments of 1 and 2 were used to evaluate the molecular g-tensor and the different exchange coupling constants between the Co(II) ions, assuming an effective spin S′= 1/2. Unexpectedly, the eigenvectors of the molecular g-tensor were not lying along any preferential bond direction, indicating that, in high spin Co(II) ions in roughly octahedral geometry with approximately axial EPR signals, the presence of molecular pseudo axes in the metal site does not determine preferential directions for the molecular g-tensor. The EPR experiment and magnetic measurements, together with a theoretical analysis relating the coupling constants obtained from both techniques, allowed us to evaluate selectively the exchange coupling constant associated with hydrogen bonds that connect magnetically inequivalent Co(II) ions (|JAB(1/2)| = 0.055(2) cm(–1)) and the exchange coupling constant associated with a fumarate bridge connecting equivalent Co(II) ions (|JAA(1/2)| ≈ 0.25 (1) cm(–1)), in good agreement with the average J(3/2) value determined from magnetic measurements.

Carbene‐based radicals are important for both fundamental and applied chemical research. Herein, extensive electrochemical investigations of nine different 1,2,3‐triazolylidene selenium adducts are reported. It is found that the half‐wave potentials of the first reduction of the selones correlate with their calculated LUMO levels and the LUMO levels of the corresponding triazolylidene‐based mesoionic carbenes (MICs). Furthermore, unexpected quasi‐reversibility of the reduction of two triazoline selones, exhibiting comparable reduction potentials, was discovered. Through UV/Vis/NIR and EPR spectroelectrochemical investigations supported by DFT calculations, the radical anion was unambiguously assigned to be triazoline centered. This electrochemical behavior was transferred to a triazolylidene‐type MIC‐gold phenyl complex resulting in a MIC‐radical coordinated AuI species. Apart from UV‐Vis‐NIR and EPR spectroelectrochemical investigations of the reduction, the reduced gold‐coordinated MIC radical complex was also formed in situ in the bulk through chemical reduction. This is the first report of a monodentate triazolylidene‐based MIC ligand that can be reduced to its anion radical in a metal complex. The results presented here provide design principles for stabilizing radicals based on MICs.