Small Zero-field Splitting Research Articles

Dielectric-Optical Switches: Photoluminescent, EPR, and Magnetic Studies on Organic-Inorganic Hybrid (azetidinium)2MnBr4.

A new organic–inorganic hybrid, AZEMnBr, has been synthesized and characterized. The thermal differential scanning calorimetry, differential thermal analysis, and thermogravimetric analyses indicate one structural phase transition (PT) at 346 and 349 K, on cooling and heating, respectively. AZEMnBr crystallizes at 365 K in the orthorhombic, Pnma, structure, which transforms to monoclinic P21/n at 200 K. Due to the X-ray diffraction studies, the anionic MnBr42– moiety is discrete. The azetidinium cations show dynamical disorder in the high-temperature phase. In the proposed structural PT, the mechanism is classified as an order–disorder type. The structural changes affect the dielectric response. In this paper, the multiple switches between low- and high- dielectric states are presented. In addition, it was also observed that the crystal possesses a mutation of fluorescent properties between phase ON and OFF in the PT’s point vicinity. We also demonstrate that EPR spectroscopy effectively detects PTs in structurally diverse Mn(II) complexes. AZEMnBr compounds show DC magnetic data consistent with the S = 5/2 spin system with small zero-field splitting, which was confirmed by EPR measurements and slow magnetic relaxation under the moderate DC magnetic field typical for a single-ion magnet behavior. Given the above, this organic–inorganic hybrid can be considered a rare example of multifunctional materials that exhibit dielectric, optical, and magnetic activity.

Understanding the Effect of the Electron Spin Relaxation on the Relaxivities of Mn(II) Complexes with Triazacyclononane Derivatives.

Investigating the relaxation of water 1H nuclei induced by paramagnetic Mn(II) complexes is important to understand the mechanisms that control the efficiency of contrast agents used in diagnostic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Herein, a series of potentially hexadentate triazacyclononane (TACN) derivatives containing different pendant arms were designed to explore the relaxation of the electron spin in the corresponding Mn(II) complexes by using a combination of 1H NMR relaxometry and theoretical calculations. These ligands include 1,4,7-triazacyclononane-1,4,7-triacetic acid (H3NOTA) and three derivatives in which an acetate group is replaced by sulfonamide (H3NO2ASAm), amide (H2NO2AM), or pyridyl (H2NO2APy) pendants. The analogue of H3NOTA containing three propionate pendant arms (H3NOTPrA) was also investigated. The X-ray structure of the derivative containing two acetate groups and a sulfonamide pendant arm [Mn(NO2ASAm)]− evidenced six-coordination of the ligand to the metal ion, with the coordination polyhedron being close to a trigonal prism. The relaxivities of all complexes at 20 MHz and 25 °C (1.1–1.3 mM–1 s–1) are typical of systems that lack water molecules coordinated to the metal ion. The nuclear magnetic relaxation profiles evidence significant differences in the relaxivities of the complexes at low fields (<1 MHz), which are associated with different spin relaxation rates. The zero field splitting (ZFS) parameters calculated by using DFT and CASSCF methods show that electronic relaxation is relatively insensitive to the nature of the donor atoms. However, the twist angle of the two tripodal faces that delineate the coordination polyhedron, defined by the N atoms of the TACN unit (lower face) and the donor atoms of the pendant arms (upper face), has an important effect in the ZFS parameters. A twist angle close to the ideal value for an octahedral coordination (60°), such as that in [Mn(NOTPrA)]−, leads to a small ZFS energy, whereas this value increases as the coordination polyhedron approaches to a trigonal prism.

EPR Spectroscopy of Iron- and Nickel-Doped [ZnAl]-Layered Double Hydroxides: Modeling Active Sites in Heterogeneous Water Oxidation Catalysts.

Iron-doped nickel layered double hydroxides (LDHs) are among the most active heterogeneous water oxidation catalysts. Due to interspin interactions, however, the high density of magnetic centers results in line-broadening in magnetic resonance spectra. As a result, gaining atomic-level insight into the catalytic mechanism via electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) is not generally possible. To circumvent spin-spin broadening, iron and nickel atoms were doped into nonmagnetic [ZnAl]-LDH materials and the coordination environments of the isolated Fe(III) and Ni(II) sites were characterized. Multifrequency EPR spectroscopy identified two distinct Fe(III) sites (S = 5/2) in [Fe:ZnAl]-LDH. Changes in zero field splitting (ZFS) were induced by dehydration of the material, revealing that one of the Fe(III) sites was solvent-exposed (i.e., at an edge, corner, or defect site). These solvent-exposed sites featured an axial ZFS of 0.21 cm-1 when hydrated. The ZFS increased dramatically upon dehydration (to -1.5 cm-1), owing to lower symmetry and a decrease in the coordination number of iron. The ZFS of the other ("inert") Fe(III) site maintained an axial ZFS of 0.19-0.20 cm-1 under both hydrated and dehydrated conditions. We observed a similar effect in [Ni:ZnAl]-LDH materials; notably, Ni(II) (S = 1) atoms displayed a single, small ZFS (±0.30 cm-1) in hydrated material, whereas two distinct Ni(II) ZFS values (±0.30 and ±1.1 cm-1) were observed in the dehydrated samples. Although the magnetically dilute materials were not active catalysts, the identification of model sites in which the coordination environments of iron and nickel were particularly labile (e.g., by simple vacuum drying) is an important step toward identifying sites in which the coordination number may drop spontaneously in water, a probable mechanism of water oxidation in functional materials.

A Gadolinium Spin Label with Both a Narrow Central Transition and Short Tether for Use in Double Electron Electron Resonance Distance Measurements.

The design, synthesis, and application of a nine-coordinate gadolinium(III)-containing spin label, [Gd.sTPATCN]-SL, for use in nanometer-distance measurement experiments by EPR spectroscopy is presented. The spin label links to cysteines via a short thioether tether and has a narrow central transition indicative of small zero-field splitting (ZFS). A protein homodimer, TRIM25cc, was selectively labeled with [Gd.sTPATCN]-SL (70%) and a nitroxide (30%) under mild conditions and measured using the double electron electron resonance (DEER) technique with both commercial Q-band and home-built W-band spectrometers. The label shows great promise for increasing the sensitivity of DEER measurements through both its favorable relaxation parameters and the large DEER modulation depth at both Q- and W-band for the inter-Gd(III) DEER measurement which, at 9%, is the largest recorded under these conditions.

Chromium(iii)-based potential molecular quantum bits with long coherence times.

Molecular quantum bits based on copper(ii) or vanadium(iv) have been shown to possess long coherence times on multiple occasions. In contrast, studies in which non-spin-½ ions are employed are relatively scarce. High-spin ions provide additional states that can be used to encode further quantum bits. Furthermore, an optical rather than a microwave readout of molecular quantum bits is highly desirable, because in principle it could allow addressing at the single quantum bit level. The chromium(iii) complex [Cr(ddpd)2]3+ (ddpd = N,N'-dimethyl-N,N'-dipyridine-2-yl-pyridine-2,6-diamine) combines both the large spin (S = 3/2) and optical activity (strong, long lived luminescence). Here we demonstrate that the compound possesses coherence times of up to 8.4(1) μs, which are much longer (at least three times) than those for other chromium(iii)-based compounds. On the other hand, it is proved to be impossible to read out or influence the quantum state by optical means, underlining that further work is needed in this direction.

Role of (1,3) {Cu-Cu} Interaction on the Magneto-Caloric Effect of Trinuclear {CuII-GdIII-CuII} Complexes: Combined DFT and Experimental Studies.

Molecular refrigeration is found to be of great interest in the field of coordination chemistry, and GdIII ion based complexes are particularly attractive, as they exhibit a large magneto-caloric effect (MCE). As the magnetic coupling in GdIII clusters is difficult to control, other avenues to enhance the MCE values have been explored and incorporation of 3d metal ions in the cluster aggregation with GdIII yielding {3d-Gd} clusters are targeted. Among the transition-metal ions, the CuII ion is particularly attractive, as it does not possess any anisotropy, and in this regard, several di- and polynuclear {Cu-Gd} clusters are reported to yield attractive MCE values. While the role of near-neighbor {Cu-Gd} interactions in the MCE has been explored in detail, how the next-nearest-neighbor interaction influences the MCE has not been explored. To explore the importance of next-nearest-neighbor (1,3) {Cu-Cu} interaction, we have undertaken detailed density functional studies on five trinuclear {CuII-GdIII-CuII} complexes that are reported in the literature. In addition, we also report the synthesis and magnetic and EPR studies of a novel complex [(CuSALen)2Gd(NO3)3] (6; where SALen is N,N'-ethylenebis(salicylaldiminato)). Both magnetic and EPR studies reveal an S = 9/2 ground state for 6 with a very small zero-field splitting parameter (+0.01 cm-1), which aid in the achievement of a large MCE value for this molecule. Magnetization data collected for 6 yield a magnetic entropy change (-ΔSm) of 17 J kg-1 K-1 at 3.5 K by employing a 7 T magnetic field. Our calculations on all six complexes reveal that {Cu-Gd} exchange is ferromagnetic in nature, while the next-nearest-neighbor {Cu-Cu} exchange is found to vary from a weak ferromagnetic to a moderate antiferromagnetic interaction. In all of the cases studied, simulated susceptibility data are in excellent agreement with the experimental data, offering confidence in the computed J values. In addition, we have developed a mechanism of magnetic coupling for {CuII-GdIII-CuII} trinuclear complexes, where the role of formally empty 5d, 6s, and 6p orbitals of GdIII ion is established. In particular, our studies reveal that the next-nearest-neighbor {Cu-Cu} interaction is strongly correlated to Cu-Gd-Cu angle, with both smaller and larger angles yielding stronger antiferromagnetic exchange. The antiferromagnetic {Cu-Cu} interaction diminishes the gap between the ground S = 9/2 state and first excited S = 7/2 state, leading to enhancement of MCE values. In contrast to the general belief that weak interactions are desired for large MCE, our study advocates targeting a stronger antiferromagnetic {Cu-Cu} interaction to obtain larger MCE values in this class of clusters.

Across the tree of life, radiation resistance is governed by antioxidant Mn2+, gauged by paramagnetic resonance

Despite concerted functional genomic efforts to understand the complex phenotype of ionizing radiation (IR) resistance, a genome sequence cannot predict whether a cell is IR-resistant or not. Instead, we report that absorption-display electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy of nonirradiated cells is highly diagnostic of IR survival and repair efficiency of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) caused by exposure to gamma radiation across archaea, bacteria, and eukaryotes, including fungi and human cells. IR-resistant cells, which are efficient at DSB repair, contain a high cellular content of manganous ions (Mn2+) in high-symmetry (H) antioxidant complexes with small metabolites (e.g., orthophosphate, peptides), which exhibit narrow EPR signals (small zero-field splitting). In contrast, Mn2+ ions in IR-sensitive cells, which are inefficient at DSB repair, exist largely as low-symmetry (L) complexes with substantially broadened spectra seen with enzymes and strongly chelating ligands. The fraction of cellular Mn2+ present as H-complexes (H-Mn2+), as measured by EPR of live, nonirradiated Mn-replete cells, is now the strongest known gauge of biological IR resistance between and within organisms representing all three domains of life: Antioxidant H-Mn2+ complexes, not antioxidant enzymes (e.g., Mn superoxide dismutase), govern IR survival. As the pool of intracellular metabolites needed to form H-Mn2+ complexes depends on the nutritional status of the cell, we conclude that IR resistance is predominantly a metabolic phenomenon. In a cross-kingdom analysis, the vast differences in taxonomic classification, genome size, and radioresistance between cell types studied here support that IR resistance is not controlled by the repertoire of DNA repair and antioxidant enzymes.

Field-Induced Slow Magnetic Relaxation in an Octacoordinated Fe(II) Complex with Pseudo-D2d Symmetry: Magnetic, HF-EPR, and Theoretical Investigations

An octacoordinated Fe(II) complex, [FeII(dpphen)2](BF4)2·1.3H2O (1; dpphen = 2,9-bis(pyrazol-1-yl)-1,10-phenanthroline), with a pseudo-D2d-symmetric metal center has been synthesized. Magnetic, high-frequency/-field electron paramagnetic resonance (HF-EPR), and theoretical investigations reveal that 1 is characterized by uniaxial magnetic anisotropy with a negative axial zero-field splitting (ZFS) (D ≈ -6.0 cm-1) and a very small rhombic ZFS (E ≈ 0.04 cm-1). Under applied dc magnetic fields, complex 1 exhibits slow magnetic relaxation at low temperature. Fitting the relaxation time with the Arrhenius mode combining Orbach and tunneling terms affords a good fit to all the data and yields an effective energy barrier (17.0 cm-1) close to the energy gap between the ground state and the first excited state. The origin of the strong uniaxial magnetic anisotropy for 1 has been clearly understood from theoretical calculations. Our study suggests that high-coordinated compounds featuring a D2d-symmetric metal center are promising candidates for mononuclear single-molecule magnets.

Characterization of the High-Spin Co(II) Intermediate Species of the O2-Evolving Co4O4 Cubic Molecules.

An artificial oxygen-evolving complex (OEC) contains a tetranuclear CoIII4O4 cubic cluster ligated with acetate and pyridine molecules, a light-activated Ru(bpy)32+ moiety (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine), and the sacrificial electron acceptor S2O82- side. A recent EPR investigation of this system showed the formation of the high-spin Co(II) ion under visible-illumination conditions. It has been supported that this center originates from the cluster and is involved in the oxygen-evolving process. The present report is focused on the further characterization of the high-spin d7 configuration of the Co(II) species. The measurement of the EPR spectrum at a wider magnetic field range in comparison to that reported recently shows the presence of an additional signal that contributes to the spectrum of the Co(II) center. The theoretical simulation of this spectrum reveals that an isotropic g value and considerably small zero-field splitting parameters describe the high-spin Co(II) ion in a unique way, which supports a tetrahedral crystal field symmetry. On the basis of the spin-Hamiltonian parameters, the looping transitions that lead to the experimental EPR signals are determined. Additionally, a possible role of the symmetry of the Co(II) species and a proposed model that explains its formation during the O2-evolving process of the Co4O4 cubic molecules are discussed.

Electronic and Optical Properties of VSc2N@C68 Fullerene

We report a detailed investigation of structural, electronic, and spectroscopic properties of VSc2N@C68 endohedral fullerene. First, the candidate structures of the ground state are obtained using a systematic approach in which 900 isomers of endohedral fullerenes were screened for their energetic stability. The stability of some of the most promising isomers was studied using density functional theory at the all-electron level using large polarized Gaussian basis sets. Although the dopant vanadium atom is also in the same charge state as Sc, the doping changes the structure and the spin state from that of Sc3N@C68. The d-orbitals of the V atom lead to a spin state with spin moment of 2 μB for the endohedral fullerene. The spin–orbit coupling strength is, however, weak, leading to vanishingly small zero-field splitting of the spin levels. The ionization energy, electron affinity, and the quasi-particle gap of the most stable isomer are comparable to those of C60. The vibrational frequency analysis shows t...

Synthesis, characterization and magnetic study of two new octahedral iron(III) complexes with pendant zwitterionic Schiff bases

Two Schiff bases, HL1 [2-((3-(dimethylamino)propylimino)methyl)-5-bromophenol] and HL2 [2-((2-(diethylamino)ethylimino)methyl)-6-methoxyphenol], have been employed to prepare two new octahedral iron(III) complexes, [Fe(HL1)2(N3)2]ClO4·2H2O (1) and [Fe(HL2)2(NCS)2]ClO4·H2O (2). Both complexes are characterized by spectral and elemental analyses. Single crystal X-ray diffraction studies confirm their structures. In both complexes, Schiff bases are trapped in their zwitterionic forms and coordinated to iron(III) only through the imine nitrogen and phenoxo oxygen, i.e., they behave as bi-dentate ligands, keeping the remaining potential donor sites pendant. The measurement of χM vs. T for both complexes shows a continuous increase in susceptibility as the temperature decreases. The χM·T values from 300 to 2K and the shape of these curves for both complexes discard the existence of a high-spin/low-spin transition. The decrease in χM·T of 1 with temperature is more pronounced than that expected for a complex with a small zero-field splitting. The magnetic behavior of 1 is explained by proposing the existence of a physical mixture of S=5/2 and S=1/2 spins and the presence of zero-field splitting in the S=5/2 species.

A Bis‐Manganese(II)–DOTA Complex for Pulsed Dipolar Spectroscopy

High-spin gadolinium(III) and manganese(II) complexes have emerged as alternatives to standard nitroxide radical spin labels for measuring nanometric distances by using pulsed electron-electron double resonance (PELDOR or DEER) at high fields/frequencies. For certain complexes, particularly those with relatively small zero-field splitting (ZFS) and short distances between the two metal centers, the pseudosecular term of the dipolar coupling Hamiltonian is non-negligible. However, in general, the contribution from this term during conventional data analysis is masked by the flexibility of the molecule of interest and/or the long tethers connecting them to the spin labels. The efficient synthesis of a model system consisting of two [Mn(dota)](2-) (MnDOTA; DOTA(4-) =1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetate) directly connected to the ends of a central rodlike oligo(phenylene-ethynylene) (OPE) spacer is reported. The rigidity of the OPE is confirmed by Q-band PELDOR measurements on a bis-nitroxide analogue. The Mn(II) -Mn(II) distance distribution profile determined by W-band PELDOR is in reasonable agreement with one simulated by using a simple rotamer analysis. The small degree of flexibility arising from the linking MnDOTA arm appears to outweigh the contribution from the pseudosecular term at this interspin distance. This study illustrates the potential of MnDOTA-based spin labels for measuring fairly short nanometer distances, and also presents an interesting candidate for in-depth studies of pulsed dipolar spectroscopy methods on Mn(II) -Mn(II) systems.

Two-state Bogoliubov theory of a molecular Bose gas

We present an analytic Bogoliubov description of a BEC of polar molecules trapped in a quasi-2D geometry and interacting via internal state-dependent dipole-dipole interactions. We derive the mean-field ground-state energy functional, and we derive analytic expressions for the dispersion relations, Bogoliubov amplitudes, and dynamic structure factors. This method can be applied to any homogeneous, two-component system with linear coupling, and direct, momentum-dependent interactions. The properties of the mean-field ground state, including polarization and stability, are investigated, and we identify three distinct instabilities: a density-wave rotonization that occurs when the gas is fully polarized, a spin-wave rotonization that occurs near zero polarization, and a mixed instability at intermediate fields. These instabilities are clarified by means of the real-space density-density correlation functions, which characterize the spontaneous fluctuations of the ground state, and the momentum-space structure factors, which characterize the response of the system to external perturbations. We find that the gas is susceptible to both density-wave and spin-wave response in the polarized limit but only a spin-wave response in the zero-polarization limit. These results are relevant for experiments with rigid rotor molecules such as RbCs, $\Lambda$-doublet molecules such as ThO that have an anomalously small zero-field splitting, and doublet-$\Sigma$ molecules such as SrF where two low-lying opposite-parity states can be tuned to zero splitting by an external magnetic field.

Trinuclear Early/Late‐Transition‐Metal Thiolate Complexes

The thiolato-bridged cobalt(II)/vanadium(II) complexes [Li(thf)4]2[Co2V(SPh)8] and [Li(15-crown-5)(thf)]2[Co2V(SPh)8] as well as a related nickel(II)/vanadium(II) complex [Li(15-crown-5)(thf)]2[Ni2V(SPh)8] have been prepared by treatment of CoCl2 (NiCl2) and VCl3 {[VCl3(thf)3]} with LiSPh in THF without and in the presence of 15-crown-5, respectively. The crystal structures of the trinuclear compounds were determined by X-ray analysis of single crystals and investigated by density functional theory. Both give evidence for one very short Ni–V distance (259.41 pm) in [Li(15-crown-5)(thf)]2[Ni2V(SPh)8]. The dark-coloured compounds display absorption bands over a wide energy range with an absorption onset lying in the near-infrared region at approximately 2000 nm. Magnetic measurements show strong antiferromagnetic coupling of the metal ions through acute phenylthiolate bridges (M–S–M < 76.1°). Ab initio multireference calculations together with mapping approaches reveal that the magnetic properties of the anionic metal complexes can be described by different effective spin Hamiltonians that indicate different types of intramolecular interactions between the metal ions. In [Co2V(SPh)8]2–, we found at low temperatures an effective S = 3/2 behaviour with small zero-field splitting (ZFS) caused by a strong, symmetric antiferromagnetic exchange interaction. A weak direct Ni–V bond in [Ni2V(SPh)8]2– generates an effective two-centre system that consists of an effective spin of S = 1/2 from the weakly bound Ni–V pair and a pseudospin S = 1 located on the other nickel site, antiferromagnetically coupled to an S = 1/2 ground state.

Pulsed electron spin nutation spectroscopy for weakly exchange-coupled multi-spin molecular systems with nuclear hyperfine couplings: a general approach to bi- and triradicals and determination of their spin dipolar and exchange interactions

Weakly exchange-coupled biradicals have attracted much attention in terms of their dynamic nuclear polarisation application in NMR spectroscopy for biological systems or the use of synthetic electron-spin qubits in quantum information processing/quantum-computing technology. Analogues multi-partite molecular systems are important in entering a new phase of the relevant fields. Many stable organic biradicals known so far have nitrogen nuclei at their electron spin sites, where singly occupied molecular orbitals are dominating and large hyperfine couplings occur. A salient feature of such weakly exchange-coupled molecular systems in terms of electronic spin structures is underlain by small zero-field splitting (ZFS) parameters comparable with nuclear hyperfine and/or exchange interactions. Pulse-based electron spin nutation (ESN) spectroscopy of weakly exchange-coupled biradicals, applicable to oriented or non-oriented media, has proven to be a useful and facile approach to the determination of ZFS parameters, which reflect relatively short distances between unpaired electron spins. In the present study, we first treat two-dimensional single-crystal ESN spectroscopy (Q-band) of a 15N-labelled weakly exchange-coupled biradical, showing the nuclear hyperfine effects on the ESN phenomena from both the experimental and theoretical side. ESN spectroscopy is transition moment spectroscopy, in which the nutation frequency as a function of the microwave irradiation strength ω1 (angular frequency) for any cases of weakly exchange-coupled systems can be treated. The results provide a testing ground for the simplified but general approach to the ESN analysis. In this study, we have invoked single-crystal electron-electron double resonance measurements on a typical biradical well incorporated in a diamagnetic host lattice and checked the accuracy of our ESN analysis for the spin dipolar tensor and exchange interaction. Next, we extend the general approach to analogues multi-partite molecular systems such as stable organic triradical, in which the exchange interaction can be governed by a significant amount of the delocalisation of three unpaired spins over the molecular frame of a triangular structure. The triangular structure maintains π-conjugation in which each spin-bearing nitroxide at the vertex participates and the exchange interaction is greatly controlled by the dihedral angle between the π-conjugation plane and nitroxide moiety at the vertex. In this context, the ZFS parameters do not correspond to spin distances (1.0 nm) in a straightforward manner, but reflect a salient electronic structure associated with both the π-electron network and the symmetry property of the triradical under study. Thus, both the D-value and exchange interaction J have been controlled in this study. In order to interpret the experimental ZFS parameters and exchange interaction, which is three-order of magnitude reduced in the present poly(methyl methacrylate) polymer matrix compared with that in the crystal, sophisticated quantum chemical calculations of the ZFS tensor and exchange interaction were carried out and reproduced the experimental values, concluding that the present triradical of the triangular structure undergoes significant twisting at the nitroxide sites in the polymer matrix. In this study, we observed electron spin resonance forbidden transitions between the Ms-manifolds belonging to the spin-doublet ground state and spin-quartet excited state. The observation enables us to derive the magnitude of the exchange coupling.

Non-innocent ligand behaviour of a bimetallic Cu complex employing a bridging catecholate

The geometric and electronic structure of a bimetallic Cu Schiff-base complex and its one-electron oxidized form have been investigated. The two salen units in the neutral complex 1 are linked via a bridging catecholate function, and the coupling between the two Cu(II) d(9) centres was determined to be weakly antiferromagnetic on the basis of solid-state magnetic studies (J = -3 cm(-1)), and variable-temperature electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) (J = -3 cm(-1)). Theoretical calculations (DFT) were in agreement with the experimental results (J = -7 cm(-1)), and provided insight into the coupling mechanism for the neutral system. One-electron oxidation provided [1](+) which was observed to have limited stability in solution. The oxidized complex was determined to be a ligand radical species in solution, with the electron hole potentially localized on the redox-active dioxolene, the phenolate ligands, or delocalized over the entire ligand system. Electrochemical experiments and UV-vis-NIR spectroscopy, in combination with density functional theory (DFT) calculations, provided insight into the locus of oxidation and the degree of delocalization in this system. The ligand radical for [1˙](+) was determined experimentally to be localized on the dioxolene bridge with a small amount of spin density on the outer phenolate moieties predicted by the calculations. This assignment was aided via comparison to data for the Ni analogue (Inorg. Chem., 2011, 50, 6746). The resonance Raman spectrum of [1˙](+) (λ(ex) = 413 nm) in CH(2)Cl(2) solution clearly exhibited a new band at 1308 cm(-1) in comparison to 1, supporting semiquinone formation. Variable-temperature EPR on the three-spin system [1˙](+) did not provide definitive information on the coupling interaction, possibly due to a very small difference in energy between the S = 3/2 and S = 1/2 states and/or a very small zero-field splitting, in combination with significant line-broadening. The data is consistent with a description of the overall electronic structure of [1˙](+) as a bimetallic Cu(II) complex with a bridge-localized semiquinone ligand radical species.

Multireversible Redox Processes in Pentanuclear Bis(Triple-Helical) Manganese Complexes Featuring an Oxo-Centered triangular {MnII2MnIII(μ3-O)}5+or {MnIIMnIII2(μ3-O)}6+Core Wrapped by Two {MnII2(bpp)3}−

A new pentanuclear bis(triple-helical) manganese complex has been isolated and characterized by X-ray diffraction in two oxidation states: [{Mn(II)(μ-bpp)(3)}(2)Mn(II)(2)Mn(III)(μ-O)](3+) (1(3+)) and [{Mn(II)(μ-bpp)(3)}(2)Mn(II)Mn(III)(2)(μ-O)](4+) (1(4+)). The structure consists of a central {Mn(3)(μ(3)-O)} core of Mn(II)(2)Mn(III) (1(3+)) or Mn(II)Mn(III)(2) ions (1(4+)) which is connected to two apical Mn(II) ions through six bpp(-) ligands. Both cations have a triple-stranded helicate configuration, and a pair of enantiomers is present in each crystal. The redox properties of 1(3+) have been investigated in CH(3)CN. A series of five distinct and reversible one-electron waves is observed in the -1.0 and +1.50 V potential range, assigned to the Mn(II)(4)Mn(III)/Mn(II)(5), Mn(II)(3)Mn(III)(2)/Mn(II)(4)Mn(III), Mn(II)(2)Mn(III)(3)/Mn(II)(3)Mn(III)(2), Mn(II)Mn(III)(4)/Mn(II)(2)Mn(III)(3), and Mn(III)(5)/Mn(II)Mn(III)(4) redox couples. The two first oxidation processes leading to Mn(II)(3)Mn(III)(2) (1(4+)) and Mn(II)(2)Mn(III)(3) (1(5+)) are related to the oxidation of the Mn(II) ions of the central core and the two higher oxidation waves, close in potential, are thus assigned to the oxidation of the two apical Mn(II) ions. The 1(4+) and 1(5+) oxidized species and the reduced Mn(4)(II) (1(2+)) species are quantitatively generated by bulk electrolyses demonstrating the high stability of the pentanuclear structure in four oxidation states (1(2+) to 1(5+)). The spectroscopic characteristics (X-band electron paramagnetic resonance, EPR, and UV-visible) of these species are also described as well as the magnetic properties of 1(3+) and 1(4+) in solid state. The powder X- and Q-band EPR signature of 1(3+) corresponds to an S = 5/2 spin state characterized by a small zero-field splitting parameter (|D| = 0.071 cm(-1)) attributed to the two apical Mn(II) ions. At 40 K, the magnetic behavior is consistent for 1(3+) with two apical S = 5/2 {Mn(II)(bpp)(3)}(-) and one S = 2 noninteracting spins (11.75 cm(3) K mol(-1)), and for 1(4+) with three S = 5/2 noninteracting spins (13.125 cm(3) K mol(-1)) suggesting that the {Mn(II)(2)Mn(III)(μ(3)-O)}(5+) and {Mn(II)Mn(III)(2)(μ(3)-O)}(6+) cores behave at low temperature like S = 2 and S = 5/2 spin centers, respectively. The thermal behavior below 40 K highlights the presence of intracomplex magnetic interactions between the two apical spins and the central core, which is antiferromagnetic for 1(3+) leading to an S(T) = 3 and ferromagnetic for 1(4+) giving thus an S(T) = 15/2 ground state.

Gd2@C79N: Isolation, Characterization, and Monoadduct Formation of a Very Stable Heterofullerene with a Magnetic Spin State of S = 15/2

The dimetallic endohedral heterofullerene (EHF), Gd(2)@C(79)N, was prepared and isolated in a relatively high yield when compared with the earlier reported heterofullerene, Y(2)@C(79)N. Computational (DFT), chemical reactivity, Raman, and electrochemical studies all suggest that the purified Gd(2)@C(79)N, with the heterofullerene cage, (C(79)N)(5-) has comparable stability with other better known isoelectronic metallofullerene (C(80))(6-) cage species (e.g., Gd(3)N@C(80)). These results describe an exceptionally stable paramagnetic molecule with low chemical reactivity with the unpaired electron spin density localized on the internal diatomic gadolinium cluster and not on the heterofullerene cage. EPR studies confirm that the spin state of Gd(2)@C(79)N is characterized by a half-integer spin quantum number of S = 15/2. The spin (S = ½) on the N atom of the fullerene cage and two octet spins (S = 7/2) of two encapsulated gadoliniums are coupled with each other in a ferromagnetic manner with a small zero-field splitting parameter D. Because the central line of Gd(2)@C(79)N is due to the Kramer's doublet with a half-integer spin quantum number of S = 15/2, this relatively sharp line is prominent and the anisotropic nature of the line is weak. Interestingly, in contrast with most Gd(3+) ion environments, the central EPR line (g = 1.978) is observable even at room temperature in a toluene solution. Finally, we report the first EHF derivative, a diethyl bromomalonate monoadduct of Gd(2)@C(79)N, which was prepared and isolated via a modified Bingel-Hirsch reaction.

Characterization of ancient and modern papers by CW-EPR spectroscopy

Several old (15th to 18th century), new (1900–1950) and recently produced (after 1990) papers have been investigated by X-band continuous-wave electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Signals from Cu(II), Fe(III), Mn(II) and radicals are apparent. A clear-cut distinction is observed between recently produced papers and the other samples: recent papers show just EPR signals from Mn(II) and sometimes small signals from Fe(III) in rhombic site, while the older samples show usually strong signals from Fe(III), Mn(II), Cu(II) and radicals. Furthermore, Mn(II) EPR signals from recent papers are characterized by small zero-field splitting (ZFS) parameters, indicating Mn(II) in high-symmetry sites, while older samples show broader Mn(II) EPR signals, typical for Mn(II) in low-symmetry sites (increased ZFS parameters).

Addition of DNA to Cr(VI) and cytochrome b5 containing proteoliposomes leads to generation of DNA strand breaks and Cr(III) complexes.

Chromium (Cr) is a cytotoxic metal that can be associated with a variety of types of DNA damage, including Cr-DNA adducts and strand breaks. Prior studies with purified human cytochrome b(5) and NADPH:P450 reductase in reconstituted proteoliposomes (PLs) demonstrated rapid reduction of Cr(VI) (hexavalent chromium, as CrO(4)(2-), and the generation of Cr(V), superoxide (O(2)(*-)), and hydroxyl radical (HO(*)). Studies reported here examined the potential for the species produced by this system to interact with DNA. Strand breaks of purified plasmid DNA increased over time aerobically, but were not observed in the absence of O(2). Cr(V) is formed under both conditions, so the breaks are not mediated directly by Cr(V). The aerobic strand breaks were significantly prevented by catalase and EtOH, but not by the metal chelator diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (DTPA), suggesting that they are largely due to HO(*) from Cr-mediated redox cycling. EPR was used to assess the formation of Cr-DNA complexes. Following a 10-min incubation of PLs, CrO(4)(2-), and plasmid DNA, intense EPR signals at g=5.7 and g=5.0 were observed. These signals are attributed to specific Cr(III) complexes with large zero field splitting (ZFS). Without DNA, the signals in the g=5 region were weak. The large ZFS signals were not seen, when Cr(III)Cl(3) was incubated with DNA, suggesting that the Cr(III)-DNA interactions are different when generated by the PLs. After 24 h, a broad signal at g=2 is attributed to Cr(III) complexes with a small ZFS. This g=2 signal was observed without DNA, but it was different from that seen with plasmid. It is concluded that EPR can detect specific Cr(III) complexes that depend on the presence of plasmid DNA and the manner in which the Cr(III) is formed.