Issue 33, 2023

Homoleptic complexes of isocyano- and diisocyanobiazulenes with a 12-electron, ligand-based redox capacity

Abstract

Oligo- and polyazulenes are attractive π-conjugated building blocks in designing advanced functional materials. Herein, we demonstrate that anchoring one or both isocyanide termini of the redox non-innocent 2,2′-diisocyano-6,6′-biazulenic π-linker (1) to the redox-active [Cr(CO)5] moiety provided a convenient intramolecular redox reference for unambiguously establishing that the 6,6′-biazulenic scaffold undergoes a reversible one-step 2e reduction governed by reduction potential compression/inversion. Treatment of bis(η6-naphthalene)chromium(0) with six equiv. of 2-isocyano-1,1′,3,3′-tetraethoxycarbonyl-6,6′-biazulene (6) or [(OC)5Cr(η1-2,2′-diisocyano-1,1′,3,3′-tetraethoxycarbonyl-6,6′-biazulene)] (11) afforded homoleptic Cr(0) complexes 13 and 14 with a 12e (per molecule) ligand-based reduction capacity at mild E1/2 of −1.29 V and −1.15 V vs. Cp2Fe0/+, respectively. The overall reversible redox capacity varies from 15e for the mononuclear complex 13 to 21e for the heptanuclear complex 14. The latter “nanocomplex” has a diameter of ca. 5 nm and features seven Cr(0) centers interlinked with six 2,2′-diisocyano-6,6′-biazulenic bridges. The X-ray structure of [(OC)5Cr(2-isocyano-1,1′,3,3′-tetraethoxycarbonyl-6,6′-biazulene)] (7) indicated a 43.5° interplanar angle between the two azulenic moieties. Self-assembly of 11 on a Au(111) substrate afforded an organometallic monolayer film of 11 featuring approximately upright orientation of the 2,2′-diisocyano-6,6′-biazulenic linkers, as evidenced by ellipsometric measurements and the RAIR signature of the C4v-symmetric [(–NC)Cr(CO)5] infrared reporter within 11. Remarkably, comparing the FTIR spectrum of 11 in solution with the RAIR spectrum of 11 adsorbed on Au(111) suggested electronic coupling at a ca. 2 nm distance between the Cr(0) and Au atoms linked by the 2,2′-diisocyano-6,6′-biazulene bridge.

Graphical abstract: Homoleptic complexes of isocyano- and diisocyanobiazulenes with a 12-electron, ligand-based redox capacity

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
23 Jun 2023
Accepted
28 Jul 2023
First published
31 Jul 2023

Dalton Trans., 2023,52, 11419-11426

Homoleptic complexes of isocyano- and diisocyanobiazulenes with a 12-electron, ligand-based redox capacity

P. T. Connelly, J. C. Applegate, D. A. Maldonado, M. K. Okeowo, W. C. Henke, A. G. Oliver, C. L. Berrie and M. V. Barybin, Dalton Trans., 2023, 52, 11419 DOI: 10.1039/D3DT01958F

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