Metal complexes, donor-type

The ability to switch a molecular unit on and off is a key component of an efficient molecular device, since it allows modulation of the physical response of such a device by external physical or chemical triggers. A molecular device, based on a trinuclear metal complex, shown in Figure 59, functions as an electroswitchable-photoinduced-electron-transfer (ESPET) device.616 Electrochemical switching of the redox state of a spacer intervening between a donor-acceptor pair can dictate the type of the observable charge separation and the lifetime of the resulting ion pair.616... 

The material included in this chapter has been organized by oxidation state, with further subdivision into ligand donor type, and was obtained from reports published in primary research journals. The article will cover coordination complexes of copper in three oxidation states Cum, Cu11, and Cu1. The sections dealing with specific ligand donor types cut across several structural types. In view of the all-inclusive nature of the previous review of CCC(1987), no effort will be made here to present a comprehensive account. Instead, specific cases will be chosen for discussion because they exemplify important concepts concerning the relationship of ligand structure to metal complex properties. 

Lewis Bases. A variety of other ligands have been studied, but with only a few of the transition metals. There is still a lot of room for scoping work in this direction. Other reactant systems reported are ammoni a(2e), methanol (3h), and hydrogen sulfide(3b) with iron, and benzene with tungsten (Tf) and plati num(3a). In a qualitative sense all of these reactions appear to occur at, or near gas kinetic rates without distinct size selectivity. The ammonia chemisorbs on each collision with no size selective behavior. These complexes have lower ionization potential indicative of the donor type ligands. Saturation studies have indicated a variety of absorption sites on a single size cluster(51). 

As we have seen, the Lewis theory of acid-base interactions based on electron pair donation and acceptance applies to many types of species. As a result, the electronic theory of acids and bases pervades the whole of chemistry. Because the formation of metal complexes represents one type of Lewis acid-base interaction, it was in that area that evidence of the principle that species of similar electronic character interact best was first noted. As early as the 1950s, Ahrland, Chatt, and Davies had classified metals as belonging to class A if they formed more stable complexes with the first element in the periodic group or to class B if they formed more stable complexes with the heavier elements in that group. This means that metals are classified as A or B based on the electronic character of the donor atom they prefer to bond to. The donor strength of the ligands is determined by the stability of the complexes they form with metals. This behavior is summarized in the following table. 

Keywords Donor type metal complexes, Metal dithiolene complexes, Molecular conductors, Organometallic complexes, Unsymmetrical metal complexes... 

Compared with the conducting anion radical salts of metal complexes, the number of molecular conductors based on cationic metal complexes is still limited. Donor type complexes M(dddt)2 (M = Ni, Pd, Pt Fig. 1) are the most studied system. The M(dddt)2 molecule is a metal complex analogue of the organic donor BEDTTTF. Formally, the central C=C bond of BEDT-TTF is substituted by a metal ion. The HOMO and LUMO of the M(dddt)2 molecule are very similar in orbital character to those of the M(dmit)2 molecule. In addition, the HOMO of the M(dddt)2 molecule is also very similar to that of BEDT-TTF. More than ten cation radical salts of M(dddt)2 with a cation (monovalent) anion ratio of 2 1 or 3 2 are reported [7]. A few of them exhibit metallic behavior down to low temperatures. The HOMO-LUMO band inversion can also occur in the donor system depending on the degree of dimerization. In contrast to the acceptor system, however, the HOMO-LUMO band inversion in the donor system leads a LUMO band with the one-dimensional character to the conduction band. 

---