Abstract
Rate constants for electron self-exchange, k{sub ex}, of five cobaltocenium-cobaltocene and ferrocenium-ferrocene couples in the gas phase have been measured by means of Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry in order to explore the possible effects of donor-acceptor electronic coupling on gas-phase redox reactivity. The systems studied, Cp{sub 2}Co{sup +/0}, Cp{sub 2}Fe{sup +/0} (Cp = cyclopentadienyl), the decamethyl derivative Cp{prime}{sub 2}Fe{sup +/0}, carboxymethyl(cobaltocenium-cobaltocene) (Cp{sub 2}{sup e}Co{sup +/0}), and hydroxymethyl(ferrocenium-ferrocene) (HMFc{sup +/0}), were selected in view of the substantial variations in electronic coupling inferred on the basis of their solvent-dependent reactivities and theoretical grounds. The sequence of k{sub ex} values determined in the gas phase, Cp{sub 2}{sup e}Co{sup +/0} {approx} Cp{sub 2}Co{sup +/0} > Cp{prime}{sub 2}Fe{sup +/0} > HMFc{sup +/0} > Cp{sub 2}Fe{sup +/0}, is roughly similar to that observed in solution, although the magnitude (up to 5-fold) of the k{sub ex} variations is smaller in the former case. The likely origins of these differences in gas-phase reactivity are discussed in light of the known variations in the electronic coupling matrix element H{sub 12}, inner-shell reorganization energy {Delta}E*, and gas-phase ion-molecule interaction energy {Delta}E{sub w} extracted from solution-phase rates, structural data, and theoretical calculations. It is concluded that the observedmore » variations in gas-phase k{sub ex} values, especially for Cp{sub 2}Fe{sup +/0} versus Cp{sub 2}Co{sup +/0}, arise predominantly from the presence of weaker donor-acceptor orbital overlap for the ferrocene couples, yielding inefficient electron tunneling for a substantial fraction of the gas-phase ion-molecule encounters. The anticipated differences as well as similarities of such nonadiabatic effects for gas-phase and solution electron-transfer processes are briefly outlined.« less
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