Photochemical hydrogen evolution provides fascinating perspectives for light harvesting. Hydrated metal ions in the gas phase are ideal model systems to study elementary steps of this reaction on a molecular...

The decomposition of copper formate clusters is investigated in the gas phase by infrared multiple photon dissociation of Cu(II)n(HCO2)2n+1−, n≤8. In combination with quantum chemical calculations and reactivity measurements using oxygen, elementary steps of the decomposition of copper formate are characterized, which play a key role during calcination as well as for the function of copper hydride based catalysts. The decomposition of larger clusters (n>2) takes place exclusively by the sequential loss of neutral copper formate units Cu(II)(HCO2)2 or Cu(II)2(HCO2)4, leading to clusters with n=1 or n=2. Only for these small clusters, redox reactions are observed as discussed in detail previously, including the formation of formic acid or loss of hydrogen atoms, leading to a variety of Cu(I) complexes. The stoichiometric monovalent copper formate clusters Cu(I)m(HCO2)m+1−, (m=1,2) decompose exclusively by decarboxylation, leading towards copper hydrides in oxidation state +I. Copper oxide centers are obtained via reactions of molecular oxygen with copper hydride centers, species containing carbon dioxide radical anions as ligands or a Cu(0) center. However, stoichiometric copper(I) and copper(II) formate Cu(I)(HCO2)2− and Cu(II)(HCO2)3−, respectively, is unreactive towards oxygen.

Although the mechanism for the transformation of carbon dioxide to formate with copper hydride is well understood, it is not clear how formic acid is ultimately released. Herein, we show how formic acid is formed in the decomposition of the copper formate clusters Cu(II)(HCOO) 3 − and Cu(II) 2 (HCOO) 5 − . Infrared irradiation resonant with the antisymmetric C−O stretching mode activates the cluster, resulting in the release of formic acid and carbon dioxide. For the binary cluster, electronic structure calculations indicate that CO 2 is eliminated first, through hydride transfer from formate to copper. Formic acid is released via proton‐coupled electron transfer (PCET) to a second formate ligand, evidenced by close to zero partial charge and spin density at the hydrogen atom in the transition state. Concomitantly, the two copper centers are reduced from Cu(II) to Cu(I). Depending on the detailed situation, either PCET or hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) takes place.

We investigate activation of carbon dioxide by singly charged hydrated magnesium cations Mg .+(H2O)n, through infrared multiple photon dissociation (IRMPD) spectroscopy combined with quantum chemical calculations. The spectra of [MgCO2(H2O)n].+ in the 1250–4000 cm−1 region show a sharp transition from n=2 to n=3 for the position of the CO2 antisymmetric stretching mode. This is evidence for the activation of CO2 via charge transfer from Mg .+ to CO2 for n≥3, while smaller clusters feature linear CO2 coordinated end‐on to the metal center. Starting with n=5, we see a further conformational change, with CO2.− coordination to Mg2+ gradually shifting from bidentate to monodentate, consistent with preferential hexa‐coordination of Mg2+. Our results reveal in detail how hydration promotes CO2 activation by charge transfer at metal centers.

The electronic structure and photochemistry of copper formate clusters, Cu I 2 (HCO 2 ) 3 − and Cu II n (HCO 2 ) 2 n +1 − , n ≤8, are investigated in the gas phase by using UV/Vis spectroscopy in combination with quantum chemical calculations. A clear difference in the spectra of clusters with Cu I and Cu II copper ions is observed. For the Cu I species, transitions between copper d and s/p orbitals are recorded. For stoichiometric Cu II formate clusters, the spectra are dominated by copper d–d transitions and charge‐transfer excitations from formate to the vacant copper d orbital. Calculations reveal the existence of several energetically low‐lying isomers, and the energetic position of the electronic transitions depends strongly on the specific isomer. The oxidation state of the copper centers governs the photochemistry. In Cu II (HCO 2 ) 3 − , fast internal conversion into the electronic ground state is observed, leading to statistical dissociation; for charge‐transfer excitations, specific excited‐state reaction channels are observed in addition, such as formyloxyl radical loss. In Cu I 2 (HCO 2 ) 3 − , the system relaxes to a local minimum on an excited‐state potential‐energy surface and might undergo fluorescence or reach a conical intersection to the ground state; in both cases, this provides substantial energy for statistical decomposition. Alternatively, a Cu II (HCO 2 ) 3 Cu 0− biradical structure is formed in the excited state, which gives rise to the photochemical loss of a neutral copper atom.