On the electronic origins of structural isomerism in the iron-sulfur cubane, [(C(5)H(5))(4)Fe(4)S(4)](2+)

Solvothermal Synthesis of [Cr7 S8 (en)8 Cl2 ]Cl3 ⋅ 2H2 O with Magnetically Frustrated [Cr7 S8 ]5+ Double-Cubes*

A novel transition metal chalcohalide [Cr₇S₈(en)₈Cl₂]Cl₃ ⋅ 2H₂O, with [Cr₇S₈]⁵⁺ dicubane cationic clusters, has been synthesized by a low temperature solvothermal method, using dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and ethylenediamine (en) solvents. Ethylenediamine ligand exhibits bi‐ and monodentate coordination modes; in the latter case ethylenediamine coordinates to Cr atoms of adjacent clusters, giving rise to a 2D polymeric structure. Although magnetic susceptibility shows no magnetic ordering down to 1.8 K, a highly negative Weiss constant, θ=−224(2) K, obtained from Curie‐Weiss fit of inverse susceptibility, suggests strong antiferromagnetic (AFM) interactions between S=3/2 Cr(III) centers. Due to the complexity of the system with (2S+1)⁷=16384 microstates from seven Cr³⁺ centers, a simplified model with only two exchange constants was used for simulations. Density‐functional theory (DFT) calculations yielded the two exchange constants to be J₁=−21.4 cm⁻¹ and J₂=−30.2 cm⁻¹, confirming competing AFM coupling between the shared Cr³⁺ center and the peripheral Cr³⁺ ions of the dicubane cluster. The best simulation of the experimental data was obtained with J₁=−20.0 cm⁻¹ and J₂=−21.0 cm⁻¹, in agreement with the slightly stronger AFM exchange within the triangles of the peripheral Cr³⁺ ions as compared to the AFM exchange between the central and peripheral Cr³⁺ ions. This compound is proposed as a synthon towards magnetically frustrated systems assembled by linking dicubane transition metal‐chalcogenide clusters into polymeric networks.

Computational studies of modified [Fe3S4] clusters: Why iron is optimal

This work reports density functional computations of metal-substituted models of biological [Fe3S4] clusters in oxidation states [MFe2S4](+/0/-1) (M=Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Mo). Geometry optimization with a dielectric screening model is shown to provide a substantial improvement in structure, compared to earlier used standard procedures. The error for average Fe-S bonds decreased from 0.038A to 0.016A with this procedure. Four density functionals were compared, B3LYP, BP86, TPSS, and TPSSh. B3LYP and to a lesser extent TPSSh energies were inconsistent with experiment for the oxidized [Fe3S4]+ cluster. BP86 (and to a slightly lesser extent TPSS) was within expected theoretical and experimental uncertainties for all oxidation states, the only qualitative error being 5kJ/mol in favor of the M(S)=3/2 configuration for the [Fe3S4]+ cluster, so BP86 was used for quantitative results. Computed reorganization energies and reduction potentials point directly towards the [Fe3S4] cluster as the superior choice of electron carrier, with the [ZnFe2S4] cluster a close second. In addition, partially and fully Mo-substituted clusters were investigated and found to have very low reorganization energies but too negative reduction potentials. The results provide a direct rationale why any substitution weakens the cluster as an electron carrier, and thus why the [Fe3S4] composition is optimal in the biological clusters.