Charge transfer inner sphere

The ML species may interact with a species in its second coordination sphere. Therefore one distinguishes inner-sphere charge-transfer and outer-sphere charge-transfer states. 

After an extensive review of MMCT transitions involving ions in solids, it seems wise to start this paragraph with some molecular species, because many of these have been investigated in much more detail than their counterparts in non-molecular solids. It is suitable to make a distinction between outer-sphere charge-transfer (OSCT) and inner-sphere charge-transfer (ISCT) transitions [1], In the former the metal ions do not have ligands in common, in the latter they are connected by a common ligand. Studies are usually performed on metal-ion pairs in solution. 

Despite intense study of the chemical reactivity of the inorganic NO donor SNP with a number of electrophiles and nucleophiles (in particular thiols), the mechanism of NO release from this drug also remains incompletely understood. In biological systems, both enzymatic and non-enzymatic pathways appear to be involved [28]. Nitric oxide release is thought to be preceded by a one-electron reduction step followed by release of cyanide, and an inner-sphere charge transfer reaction between the ni-trosonium ion (NO+) and the ferrous iron (Fe2+). Upon addition of SNP to tissues, formation of iron nitrosyl complexes, which are in equilibrium with S-nitrosothiols, has been observed. A membrane-bound enzyme may be involved in the generation of NO from SNP in vascular tissue [35], but the exact nature of this reducing activity is unknown. 

Excitation to inner-sphere charge transfer (ISCT) transitions induces radial charge shift within the coordination entity, which may result in redox reactions including the central atom and ligands. The charge redistribution increases the complex susceptibility towards protonation, isomerization, redox processes, or nucleophilic or electrophilic attack. 

Kharkatz, Yu., I. (1976) Calculation of the solvent reorganization energy in reactions accompanied by inner-sphere charge transfer, Electrokhimia, 12, 592-595. 

Electrochemical reactions can be broken down into two groups outer-sphere electron-transfer reactions and inner-sphere electron transfer reactions. Outer-sphere reactions are reactions that only involve electron transfer. There is no adsorption and no breaking or forming of chemical bonds. Because of their simplicity, numerous studies have been performed, many entirely theoretical.18-25 By definition, though, electrode reactions are not outer-sphere reactions. However, if charge transfer is rate limiting for an electrode reaction, it typically takes a form similar to that of an outer-sphere reaction, which is described later in this section. 

Secondly, instead of a pure and simple electron transfer, the redox reaction can be coupled to a chemical reaction in such a way that the electron transfer takes place either after incorporation of the substrate or an intermediate into the inner coordination sphere of a metal ion ( inner-sphere electron transfer), by formation of a charge transfer complex, or in form of a hydrogen or hydride atom abstraction, respectively. In these cases the reaction between redox catalyst and substrate does not directly depend on the difference of the two standard potentials (see Sect. 2.3). 

Inner-sphere electron transfers are characterized by (a) temperature-independent rate constants that are greatly higher and rather poorly correlated by Marcus theory (b) weak dependence on solvent polarity (c) low sensitivity to kinetic salt effects. This type of electron transfer does not produce ion radicals as observable species but deals with the preequilibrium formation of encountered complexes with the charge-transfer (inner-sphere) nature (see also Rosokha Kochi 2001). 

The encounter complexes exhibit high degrees of charge-transfer [20, 91], and on the basis of absorption and emission data electronic coupling matrix elements for similar complexes (exciplexes) have been determined [205] which are comparable to those of mixed-valence metal complexes commonly used as prototypical models for the bridged-activated complex in inner-sphere electron transfers [2, 26, 197]. Accordingly, we ascribe the unusually high rate constants, their temperature-independence, and their on-Marcus behavior to an inner-sphere electron transfer process [31]. 

As discussed above, the first step in photochemical reactions of Fe(III) carboxylate complexes has been thought to involve ligand to metal charge transfer [224,225] as a concerted inner sphere electron transfer, and the subsequent separation of the photofragments into the bulk solution. It can be written in simplified form as... 

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