Outer sphere ligands

In coordination chemistry two types of complex can occur between metals and complexant ligands. Outer-sphere complexes are relatively weak electrostatic associations between a hydrated metal ion and a complexant ligand, and in which both of the charged species retain a hydration shell. In contrast, inner-sphere complexes are stronger interactions in which a covalent bond is formed between a metal ion and a ligand. 

It is believed that the only reasonable explanation for these observations is that the formation reactions proceed in two steps, the first being formation of the aquo ion-ligand outer sphere complex, followed by elimination of H20 from the aquo ion in the same manner as in the water-exchange process. 

Fig. 4.15 Axial through-ligand (outer sphere) mechanism for metalloporphyrin redox reactions.

Oxidation—Reduction. Redox or oxidation—reduction reactions are often governed by the hard—soft base rule. For example, a metal in a low oxidation state (relatively soft) can be oxidized more easily if surrounded by hard ligands or a hard solvent. Metals tend toward hard-acid behavior on oxidation. Redox rates are often limited by substitution rates of the reactant so that direct electron transfer can occur (16). If substitution is very slow, an outer sphere or tunneling reaction may occur. One-electron transfers are normally favored over multielectron processes, especially when three or more species must aggregate prior to reaction. However, oxidative addition... 

Outer-sphere. Here, electron transfer from one reactant to the other is effected without changing the coordination sphere of either. This is likely to be the ea.se if both reactants are coordinatively. saturated and can safely be assumed to be so if the rate of the redox process is faster than the rates observed for substitution (ligand tran.sfer) reactions of the species in question. A good example is the reaction. 

The superb elegance of this demonstration lies in the choice of reactants which permits no alternative mechani.sm. Cr" (d ) and Co" (d ) species are known to be substitutionally labile whereas Cr" (d ) and Co " (low-spin d ) are substitutionally inert, Only if electron transfer is preceded by the formation of a bridged internrediate can the inert cobalt reactant be persuaded to release a Cl ligand and so allow the quantitative formation of the (then inert) chromium product. Corroboration that electron transfer does not occur by an outer-sphere mechanism followed by los.s of CP from the chromium is provided by the fact that, if Cl is added to the solution, none of it finds its way into the chromium product. 

Complexation of Pu is discussed in terms of the relative stabilities of different oxidation states and the "effective" ionic charge of Pu0 and Pu02+2. An equation is proposed for calculating stability constants of Pu complexes and its correlation with experimental values demonstrated. The competition between inner v outer sphere complexation as affected by the oxidation state of Pu and the pKa of the ligand is reviewed. Two examples of uses of specific complexing agents for Pu indicate a useful direction for future studies. 

In the same way that we considered two limiting extremes for ligand substitution reactions, so may we distinguish two types of reaction pathway for electron transfer (or redox) reactions, as first put forth by Taube. For redox reactions, the distinction between the two mechanisms is more clearly defined, there being no continuum of reactions which follow pathways intermediate between the extremes. In one pathway, there is no covalently linked intermediate and the electron just hops from one center to the next. This is described as the outer-sphere mechanism (Fig. 9-4). 

In the case of other systems in which one or both of the reactants is labile, no such generalization can be made. The rates of these reactions are uninformative, and rate constants for outer-sphere reactions range from 10 to 10 sec b No information about mechanism is directly obtained from the rate constant or the rate equation. If the reaction involves two inert centers, and there is no evidence for the transfer of ligands in the redox reaction, it is probably an outer-sphere process. 

In many cases, the values of A n and k2i may be directly or indirectly determined. We shall say no more about this relationship here, other than to indicate that it proves to be generally applicable, and is sufficiently accepted that the Marcus-Hush equation is now used to establish when an outer-sphere pathway is operative. In the context of this chapter, the involvement of the Kn term is interesting for it relates to the relative stabilization of various oxidation states by particular ligand sets. The factors which stabilize or destabilize particular oxidation states continue to play their roles in determining the value of Kn, and hence the rate of the electron transfer reaction. 

Fig. 1. The Co(NH3)6 ion in aqueous solution. The inner sphere contains six ammonia ligands strongly bonded to Co(lII). The outer sphere contains several water molecules.

In conforming to an expected linear free energy relationship, the Ce(lV) oxidation of various 1,10-phenanthroline and bipyridyl complexes of Ru(II) in 0.5 M sulphuric acid are consistent with the requirements of the Marcus treatment . The results for the oxidation of the 3- and 5-sulphonic-substituted ferroin complexes by Ce(IV) suggest that the ligand does not function as an electron mediator, and that the mechanism is outer-sphere in type. Second-order rate coefficients for the oxidation of Ru(phen)j, Ru(bipy)3, and Ru(terpy)3 are 5.8x10, 8,8 X 10, and 7.0 x 10 l.mole . sec, respectively, in 0.5 M H2SO4 at 25 °C a rapid-mixing device was employed. 

Classification exclusively in terms of a few basic mechanisms is the ideal approach, but in a comprehensive review of this kind, one is presented with all reactions, and not merely the well-documented (and well-behaved) ones which are readily denoted as inner- or outer-sphere electron transfer, hydrogen atom transfer from coordinated solvent, ligand transfer, concerted electron transfer, etc. Such an approach has been made on a more limited scale. Turney has considered reactions in terms of the charges and complexing of oxidant and reductant but this approach leaves a large number to be coped with under further categories. 

These present an interesting dichotomy in their reductions by tm(l,10-phen-anthroline)iron(ri) (ferroin) °. That of CIO2 to CIOJ is rapid, is first-order in each component ki = 1.86 0.13 l.mole sec at 35 °C) and is independent of acidity. Ferriin is the immediate product and an outer sphere electron-transfer is proposed. The reduction of CIO2 is much slower, proceeding at the same rate as dissociation of ferroin at high chlorite concentrations and a major product is feriin dimer, possibly [(phen)2Fe-0-Fe(phen)2] . Clearly the reaction depends on ligand-displacement followed by an inner-sphere electron transfer. 

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. 

When the entering ligand, L, is uncharged, the stability of the outer-sphere complex M OH2 L2+ may be so low that its concentration does not differ significantly from that arising from diffusive collisions between M OH2m+ and L. Under these conditions, entry of L into the... 

Thus, although the rate of substitution should be very dependent on the nature of Lx, distinguishing the operation of an A mechanism according to Eq. (8) from ligand substitution proceeding through an outer-sphere complex on the basis of rate laws is usually not feasible. This does not, however, preclude the operation of an A mechanism within an outer-sphere complex. 

Figure 2.12. BP/DNP calculated spin density contour of the r/-/V 2CuNO nM5 complex and for the NO molecule, showing two possible routes of NO attachment an inner-sphere attack at the metal center (slim arrow) and an outer-sphere attack at the NO ligand (bold arrow) (after [75]).

Thus, for paramagnetic complexes the reactivity patterns promoted either by the metal center or by the ligand (equivalent to an inner- vs. an outer-sphere pathway), are essentially triggered by the spin density distribution. 

The remarkable physical properties exhibited by the divalent macrobicyclic cage complex [Co(sep)]2+ (29) are unparalleled in Co chemistry.219 The complex, characterized structurally, is inert to ligand substitution in its optically pure form and resists racemization in stark contrast to its [Co(en)3]2+ parent. The encapsulating nature of the sep ligand ensures outer sphere electron transfer in all redox reactions. For example, unlike most divalent Co amines, the aerial oxidation of (29) does not involve a peroxo-bound intermediate. 

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