Systematic assessment of DFT methods for geometry optimization of mononuclear platinum-containing complexes

An Iridium Complex as Bidentate Halogen Bond-Based Anion Receptor Featuring an IncreasedOptical Response

We present a luminescent Ir(III) complex featuring a bidentate halogen bond donor site capable of strong anion binding. The tailor-made Ir(III)(L)2 moiety offers a significantly higher emission quantum yield (8.4 %) compared to previous Ir(III)-based chemo-sensors (2.5 %). The successful binding of chloride, bromide and acetate is demonstrated using emission titrations. These experiments reveal association constants of up to 1.6×105 M-1. Furthermore, a new approach to evaluate the association constant by utilizing the shift of the emission was used for the first time. The experimentally observed characteristics are supported by quantum chemical simulations.

Novel Bidentate Amine Ligand and the Interplay between Pd(II) and Pt(II) Coordination and Biological Activity

Pt(II) and Pd(II) coordinating N-donor ligands have been extensively studied as anticancer agents after the success of cisplatin. In this work, a novel bidentate N-donor ligand, the N-[[4-(phenylmethoxy)phenyl]methyl]-2-pyridinemethanamine, was designed to explore the antiparasitic, antiviral and antitumor activity of its Pt(II) and Pd(II) complexes. Chemical and spectroscopic characterization confirm the formation of [MLCl2 ] complexes, where M=Pt(II) and Pd(II). Single crystal X-ray diffraction confirmed a square-planar geometry for the Pd(II) complex. Spectroscopic characterization of the Pt(II) complex suggests a similar structure. 1 H NMR, 195 Pt NMR and HR-ESI-MS(+) analysis of DMSO solution of complexes indicated that both compounds exchange the chloride trans to the pyridine for a solvent molecule with different reaction rates. The ligand and the two complexes were tested for in vitro antitumoral, antileishmanial, and antiviral activity. The Pt(II) complex resulted in a GI50 of 10.5 μM against the NCI/ADR-RES (multidrug-resistant ovarian carcinoma) cell line. The ligand and the Pd(II) complex showed good anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity with around 65 % reduction in viral replication at a concentration of 50 μM.

Resonant Excitation Unlocks Chemical Selectivity of Platinum Lβ Valence-to-Core X-ray Emission Spectra

Valence-to-core X-ray emission spectroscopy (VtC XES) is an emerging technique that uses hard X-rays to probe the valence electronic structure of an absorbing atom. Despite finding varied applications for light elements and first row transition metals, little work has been done on heavier elements such as second and third row transition metals. This lack of application is at least partially due to the relatively low resolution of the data at the high energies required to measure these elements, which obscures the useful chemical information that can be extracted from the lower energy, higher resolution spectra of lighter elements. Herein, we collect data on a set of platinum-containing compounds and demonstrate that the VtC XES resolution can be dramatically enhanced by exciting the platinum atom in resonance with its L3-edge white line absorption. Whereas spectra excited using standard nonresonant absorption well above the Pt L3-edge display broad, unfeatured VtC regions, resonant XES (RXES) spectra have more than twofold improved resolution and are revealed to be rich in chemical information with the ability to distinguish between even closely related species. We further demonstrate that these RXES spectra may be used to selectively probe individual components of a mixture of Pt-containing compounds, establishing this technique as a viable probe for chemically complex samples. Lastly, it is shown that the spectra are interpretable using a molecular orbital framework and may be calculated using density functional theory, thus suggesting resonant excitation as a general strategy for extracting chemically useful information from heavy element VtC spectra.

The three kingdoms-Photoinduced electron transfer cascades controlled by electronic couplings

Excited states are the key species in photocatalysis, while the critical parameters that govern their applications are (i) excitation energy, (ii) accessibility, and (iii) lifetime. However, in molecular transition metal-based photosensitizers, there is a design tension between the creation of long-lived excited (triplet), e.g., metal-to-ligand charge transfer (3MLCT) states and the population of such states. Long-lived triplet states have low spin-orbit coupling (SOC) and hence their population is low. Thus, a long-lived triplet state can be populated but inefficiently. If the SOC is increased, the triplet state population efficiency is improved-coming at the cost of decreasing the lifetime. A promising strategy to isolate the triplet excited state away from the metal after intersystem crossing (ISC) involves the combination of transition metal complex and an organic donor/acceptor group. Here, we elucidate the excited state branching processes in a series of Ru(II)-terpyridyl push-pull triads by quantum chemical simulations. Scalar-relativistic time-dependent density theory simulations reveal that efficient ISC takes place along 1/3MLCT gateway states. Subsequently, competitive electron transfer (ET) pathways involving the organic chromophore, i.e., 10-methylphenothiazinyl and the terpyridyl ligands are available. The kinetics of the underlying ET processes were investigated within the semiclassical Marcus picture and along efficient internal reaction coordinates that connect the respective photoredox intermediates. The key parameter that governs the population transfer away from the metal toward the organic chromophore either by means of ligand-to-ligand (3LLCT; weakly coupled) or intra-ligand charge transfer (3ILCT; strongly coupled) states was determined to be the magnitude of the involved electronic coupling.