We report the discovery of a DNA sequence that templates a highly stable fluorescent silver nanocluster. In contrast to other DNA templated silver nanoclusters that have a relatively short shelf-life, the fluorescent species templated in this new DNA sequence retains significant fluorescence for at least a year. Moreover, this new silver nanocluster possesses low cellular toxicity and enhanced thermal, oxidative, and chemical stability.

We use a combined, theoretical and experimental, approach to investigate the spectroscopic properties and electronic structure of three ruthenium polypyridyl complexes, [Ru(tpy)(2)](2+), [Ru(tpy)(bpy)(H(2)O)](2+), and [Ru(tpy)(bpy)(Cl)](+) (tpy = 2,2':6',2''-terpyridine and bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine) in acetone, dichloromethane, and water. All three complexes display strong absorption bands in the visible region corresponding to a metal-to-ligand-charge-transfer (MLCT) transition, as well as the emission bands arising from the lowest lying (3)MLCT state. [Ru(tpy)(bpy)(Cl)](+) undergoes substitution of the Cl(-) ligand by H(2)O in the presence of water. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations demonstrate that the triplet potential energy surfaces of these molecules are complicated, with several metal-centered ((3)MC) and (3)MLCT states very close in energy. Solvent effects are included in the calculations via the polarizable continuum model as well as explicitly, and it is shown that they are critical for proper characterization of the triplet excited states of these complexes.

The novel charge-transfer ground state found in alpha,alpha'-diimine adducts of ytterbocene (C(5)Me(5))(2)Yb(L) [L = 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy) and 1,10-phenanthroline (phen)] in which an electron is spontaneously transferred from the f(14) metal center into the lowest unoccupied (pi*) molecular orbital (LUMO) of the diimine ligand to give an f(13)-L(*)(-) ground-state electronic configuration has been characterized by cyclic voltammetry, UV-vis-near-IR electronic absorption, and resonance Raman spectroscopies. The voltammetric data demonstrate that the diimine ligand LUMO is stabilized and the metal f orbital is destabilized by approximately 1.0 V each upon complexation for both bpy and phen adducts. The separation between the ligand-based oxidation wave (L(0/-)) and the metal-based reduction wave (Yb(3+/2+)) in the ytterbocene adducts is 0.79 V for both bpy and phen complexes. The UV-vis-near-IR absorption spectroscopic data for both the neutral adducts and the one-electron-oxidized complexes are consistent with those reported recently, but previously unreported bands in the near-IR have been recorded and assigned to ligand (pi*)-to-metal (f orbital) charge-transfer (LMCT) transitions. These optical electronic excited states are the converse of the ground-state charge-transfer process (e.g., f(13)-L(*-) <--> f(14)-L(0)). These new bands occur at approximately 5000 cm(-1) in both adducts, consistent with predictions from electrochemical data, and the spacings of the resolved vibronic bands in these transitions are consistent with the removal of an electron from the ligand pi* orbital. The unusually large intensity observed in the f --> f intraconfiguration transitions for the neutral phenanthroline adduct is discussed in terms of an intensity-borrowing mechanism involving the low-energy LMCT states. Raman vibrational data clearly reveal resonance enhancement for excitation into the low-lying pi* --> pi* ligand-localized excited states, and comparison of the vibrational energies with those reported for alkali-metal-reduced diimine ligands confirms that the ligands in the adducts are reduced radical anions. Differences in the resonance enhancement pattern for the modes in the bipyridine adduct with excitation into different pi* --> pi* levels illustrate the different nodal structures that exist in the various low-lying pi* orbitals.

We report the synthesis and characterization of a new DNA-templated gold nanocluster (AuNC) of ∼1 nm in diameter and possessing ∼7 Au atoms. When integrated with bilirubin oxidase (BOD) and single walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs), the AuNC acts as an enhancer of electron transfer (ET) and lowers the overpotential of electrocatalytic oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) by ∼15 mV as compared to the enzyme alone. In addition, the presence of AuNC causes significant enhancements in the electrocatalytic current densities at the electrode. Control experiments show that such enhancement of ORR by the AuNC is specific to nanoclusters and not to plasmonic gold particles. Rotating ring disk electrode (RRDE) measurements confirm 4e(-) reduction of O2 to H2O with minimal production of H2O2, suggesting that the presence of AuNC does not perturb the mechanism of ORR catalyzed by the enzyme. This unique role of the AuNC as enhancer of ET at the enzyme-electrode interface makes it a potential candidate for the development of cathodes in enzymatic fuel cells, which often suffer from poor electronic communication between the electrode surface and the enzyme active site. Finally, the AuNC displays phosphorescence with large Stokes shift and microsecond lifetime.

The only operating mechanism in the oxidation of water to dioxygen catalyzed by the mononuclear cis-[RuII(bpy)2(H2O)2]2+ complex when treated with excess CeIV was unambiguously established. Theoretical calculations together with 18O-labeling experiments (see plot) revealed that it is the nucleophilic attack of water on a Ru=O group

A common challenge in the molecular photocatalysis of water splitting toward artificial photosynthesis [1] has been the realization of modular, multicomponent chromophore-catalyst assemblies that can meet the kinetic and thermodynamic requirements whilst successfully integrating both 1) the charge-transfer photoexcitation and accompanying stepwise transfer of a single electron to/from an acceptor/donor at the chromophoric end, and 2) the proton-coupled, multielectron redox buildup and chemical reactivity of the catalytic unit. Of particular interest to us is the potential utilization of visible sunlight energy to photochemically drive the catalytic oxidation of water into dioxygen. This reaction is highly endergonic and mechanistically complex, and involves a four-electron/ four-proton transformation that has been recognized as the bottleneck for the overall water splitting leading to H 2 and O 2 evolution. The photocatalysis of this process remains to be demonstrated in (supra)molecular chemistry.As a step toward this goal, we have designed and prepared a structurally simple dyad assembly of ruthenium complexes that is capable of catalytically performing the homogeneous visible-light photooxidation of organic compounds at ambient conditions in aqueous solution. As a proof of concept, we chose the dehydrogenation of alcohols, which is a thermodynamically uphill conversion involving a two-electron/twoproton coupled process. Besides their practical importance in organic processes, [2] such transformations are also of relevance to hydrogen-based energy technologies because the anodic liberation of protons and electrons [Eq. (1)] can be coupled with recombination on a cathode for H 2 fuel production in an integrated photoelectrochemical cell. The photocatalyst was constructed from ruthenium polypyridyl building blocks using the synthetic strategy shown in Scheme 1. A key consideration in the design of this assembly was the fact that the [Ru 2+ couple has been extensively explored [4,5] in proton-coupled electron-transfer (PCET) reactions [6] and oxidation of organic substrates upon redox activation by either electrochemistry or chemical oxidants, that is, H 2 ORuunit is a well known chromophore [7] , owing to its efficient metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) "pump", with a strong absorption in the visible region. [Ru(tpy) 2 ]2+ is a more appealing alternative to the bipyridine [Ru(bpy) 3 ] 2+ analogue because substitution at the 4-position of terpyridine can be used to afford linear, rigid structures favoring electron-transfer directionality. [7,8] Scheme 1. Synthetic strategy for the preparation of the dyad assembly and its monometallic precursors/components: A) [Ru(tpy)(dmso)Cl 2 ] (0.8 equiv) in N,N-dimethylformamide, reflux; isolation, then NH 4 PF 6 (excess) in water. B) cis-[Ru(bpy)(dmso) 2 Cl 2 ] (1.0 equiv) in methanol, reflux; then NH 4 PF 6 (excess). C) cis-[Ru(bpy)(dmso) 2 Cl 2 ] (0.7 equiv) in N,N-dimethylformamide, reflux; isolation, then NH 4 PF 6 (excess) in water. D) cis-[Ru(tpy)(dmso)Cl 2 ] (1.0...

Detailed understanding of the transition between localized and delocalized behaviour in mixed valence compounds has been elusive as evidenced by many interpretations of the Creutz-Taube ion, [(NH 3 ) 5 Ru(pz)Ru(NH 3 ) 5 ] 5C . In a review in 2001, experimental protocols and a systematic model to probe this region were proposed and applied to examples in the literature. The model included: (i) multiple orbital interactions in ligand-bridged transition metal complexes, (ii) inclusion of spin-orbit coupling which, for dp 5 -dp 6 complexes, leads to five low-energy bands, two from interconfigurational (dp/dp) transitions at the dp 5 site and three from intervalence transfer transitions, (iii) differences in time scale between coupled vibrations and solvent modes which can result in solvent averaging with continued electronic asymmetry defining 'class II-III', an addition to the Robin-Day classification scheme, and (iv) delineation of coupled vibrations into barrier vibrations and 'spectator' vibrations. The latter provide direct insight into localization or delocalization and time scales for electron transfer. In this paper, the earlier model is applied to a series of mixed-valence molecules.

The dinuclear complexes [(tpy)Ru(tppz)Ru(bpy)(L)](n+) (where L is Cl(-) or H(2)O, tpy and bpy are the terminal ligands 2,2':6',2''-terpyridine and 2,2'-bipyridine, and tppz is the bridging backbone 2,3,5,6-tetrakis(2-pyridyl)pyrazine) were prepared and structurally and electronically characterized. The mononuclear complexes [(tpy)Ru(tppz)](2+) and [(tppz)Ru(bpy)(L)](m+) were also prepared and studied for comparison. The proton-coupled, multi-electron photooxidation reactivity of the aquo dinuclear species was shown through the photocatalytic dehydrogenation of a series of primary and secondary alcohols. Under simulated solar irradiation and in the presence of a sacrificial electron acceptor, the photoactivated chromophore-catalyst complex (in aqueous solutions at room temperature and ambient pressure conditions) can perform the visible-light-driven conversion of aliphatic and benzylic alcohols into the corresponding carbonyl products (i.e., aldehydes or ketones) with 100% product selectivity and several tens of turnover cycles, as probed by NMR spectroscopy and gas chromatography. Moreover, for aliphatic substrates, the activity of the photocatalyst was found to be highly selective toward secondary alcohols, with no significant product formed from primary alcohols. Comparison of the activity of this tppz-bridged complex with that of the analogue containing a back-to-back terpyridine bridge (tpy-tpy, i.e., 6',6''-bis(2-pyridyl)-2,2':4',4'':2'',2'''-quaterpyridine) demonstrated that the latter is a superior photocatalyst toward the oxidation of alcohols. The much stronger electronic coupling with significant delocalization across the strongly electron-accepting tppz bridge facilitates charge trapping between the chromophore and catalyst centers and therefore is presumably responsible for the decreased catalytic performance.