title: Structure and Bonding in Pentacyano(L)ferrate(II) and Pentacyano(L)ruthenate(II) Complexes (L = Pyridine, Pyrazine, and N-Methylpyrazinium): A Density Functional Study.
abstract: Density Functional Theory (DFT) at the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) level has been applied to the complexes [Fe(CN)(5)L](n-) and [Ru(CN)(5)L](n-) (L = pyridine, pyrazine, N-methylpyrazinium), as well as to [Fe(CN)(5)](3)(-) and [Ru(CN)(5)](3)(-). Full geometry optimizations have been performed in all cases. The geometrical parameters are in good agreement with available information for related systems. The role of the M(II)-L back-bonding was investigated by means of a L and cyanide Mulliken population analysis. For both Fe(II) and Ru(II) complexes the metal-L dissociation energies follow the ordering pyridine < pyrazine < N-methyl pyrazinium, consistent with the predicted sigma-donating and pi-accepting abilities of the L ligands. Also, the computed metal-L bond dissociation energies are systematically smaller in the Ru(II) than in the Fe(II) complexes. This fact suggests that previous interpretations of kinetic data, showing that ruthenium complexes in aqueous solution are more inert than their iron analogues, are not related to a stronger Ru-L bond but are probably due to solvation effects.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Analítica y Química-Física and INQUIMAE, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria-Pab II, 1428 Buenos Aires, Argentina, and Centro di Ricerca, Sviluppo e Studi Superiori in Sardegna (CRS4), P.O. Box 1048, 09100 Cagliari, Italy.
authors.forename: Darío A.
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Estrin
authors.forename: O. Yasmine
authors.initials: OY
authors.lastname: Hamra
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Paglieri
authors.forename: Leonardo D.
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Slep
authors.forename: José A.
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Olabe