title: Electron transfer across multiple hydrogen bonds: the case of ureapyrimidinedione-substituted vinyl ruthenium and osmium complexes.
abstract: Ruthenium and osmium complexes 2a,b and 3a,b featuring the N-4,6-dioxo-5,5-dibutyl- or the N-4,6-dioxo-5,5-di-(2-propenyl)-1,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrimidin-2-yl-N'(4-ethenylphenyl)-urea ligand dimerize by a self-complementary quadruply hydrogen-bonding donor/donor/acceptor/acceptor (DDAA) motif. We provide evidence that the dimeric structures are maintained in nonpolar solvents and in 0.1 M NBu(4)PF(6)/CH(2)Cl(2) supporting electrolyte solution. All complexes are reversibly oxidized in two consecutive two-electron oxidations (DeltaE(1/2) approximately = 500 mV) without any discernible potential splitting for the oxidation of the individual hydrogen-bridged redox active moieties. IR and UV/vis/NIR spectroelectrochemistry show a one-step conversion of the neutral to the dication without any discernible features of an intermediate monooxidized radical cation. Oxidation-induced IR changes of the NH and CO groups that are involved in hydrogen bonding are restricted to the styryl-bonded urea NH function. IR band assignments are aided by quantum chemical calculations. Our experimental findings clearly show that, at least in the present systems, the ureapyrimidinedione (Upy) DDAA hydrogen-bonding motif does not support electron transfer. The apparent reason is that neither of the hydrogen-bonding functionalities contributes to the occupied frontier levels. This results in nearly degenerate pairs of MOs representing the in-phase and out-of-phase combinations of the individual monomeric building blocks.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Anorganische Chemie der Universität Regensburg, D-93040 Regensburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pichlmaier
authors.forename: Rainer F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Winter
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zabel
authors.forename: Stanislav
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zális
mesh_terms: D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D019281:Dimerization; D004563:Electrochemistry; D004579:Electron Transport; D006860:Hydrogen Bonding; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D009992:Osmium / Q000737:chemistry*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D011744:Pyrimidinones / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*; D011789:Quantum Theory; D012428:Ruthenium / Q000737:chemistry*; D012997:Solvents / Q000737:chemistry; D013053:Spectrophotometry; D014508:Urea / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D011744:Pyrimidinones; D012997:Solvents; D009992:Osmium; D012428:Ruthenium; D014508:Urea