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Title: Redox Chemistry in Thin Layers of Organometallic Complexes Prepared Using Ion Soft Landing

Journal Article · · Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. PCCP, 13(1):267-275
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1039/C0CP01457E· OSTI ID:1024532

Soft landing (SL) of mass-selected ions is used to introduce catalytically-active metal complexes complete with organic ligands into the gas phase and then to transfer them as ions onto an inert surface. This is part of an effort to prepare materials with defined active sites and thus achieve molecular design of surfaces in a highly controlled way. Solution-phase electrochemical studies have shown that VIVO(salen) reacts in the presence of acid to form VVO(salen)+ and the deoxygenated VIII(salen)+ complex -- a key intermediate in the four electron reduction of O2 by vanadium-salen. In this work, the VVO(salen)+ and [NiII(salen)+H]+ complexes were generated by electrospray ionization and mass-selected before being deposited into an inert fluorinated self-assembled monolayer (FSAM) surface on gold. A time dependence study after ion deposition showed loss of O from VVO(salen)+ forming VIII(salen)+ over a four-day period, indicating a slow interfacial reduction process. Similar results were obtained when other protonated molecules were co-deposited with VVO(salen)+ on the FSAM surface. In all these experiments oxidation of the VIII(salen)+ product occurred upon exposure to oxygen or to air. The cyclic regeneration of VVO(salen)+ upon exposure to molecular oxygen and its subsequent reduction to VIII(salen)+ in vacuum completes the catalytic cycle of O2 reduction by the immobilized vanadium-salen species. Moreover, our results represent the first evidence of formation of reactive organometallic complexes on substrates in the absence of solvent. Remarkably, deoxygenation of the oxo-vanadium complex, previously observed only in highly acidic non-aqueous solvents, occurs on the surface in the UHV environment using an acid which is deposited into the inert monolayer. This acid can be a protonated metal complex, e.g. [NiII(salen)+H]+ or an organic acid such as protonated diaminododecane.

Research Organization:
Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States). Environmental Molecular Sciences Lab. (EMSL)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
AC05-76RL01830
OSTI ID:
1024532
Report Number(s):
PNNL-SA-75788; 34913; 30445; 19594; KC0302020; KC0302020; TRN: US201119%%444
Journal Information:
Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. PCCP, 13(1):267-275, Vol. 13, Issue 1; ISSN 1463-9076
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English