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Ultrafast photochemistry of gas-phase transition metal carbonyls

Journal Article · · Chemical Physics Reviews
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0266408· OSTI ID:2584049

Organometallic photochemistry lies at the heart of photochemical energy conversions in applications such as photocatalysis, photovoltaic cells, and luminescent materials. Thus, understanding how metal and ligand interactions in organometallic complexes modify electronic excited-state properties and reactivity has been the subject of intense studies for decades. Transition metal carbonyls [Mn(CO)m] have long served as prototypical organometallic complexes for understanding metal–ligand bonding and photochemistry and have been studied extensively in solution, matrices, and the gas phase on time scales ranging from femtoseconds to microseconds and longer. This review chronicles the past two and a half decades of efforts in understanding the ultrafast (sub-nanosecond) dynamics of transition metal carbonyls in the gas phase, where complicating solvent influences are absent and multiple experimental probes and high-level electronic structure theory can come together to yield rich information on the intricate interplay of electronic and structural dynamics. This review first lays the groundwork by briefly describing the electronic structure of transition metal carbonyls and introducing the various ultrafast techniques that have been applied to study their unimolecular dynamics. We then provide a detailed historical account on the ultrafast photochemistry of iron pentacarbonyl, nickel tetracarbonyl, and transition metal hexacarbonyls and decacarbonyls, putting the more recent ultrafast studies in the context of prior investigations. In conclusion, we end this review with an outlook on open questions and future possibilities.

Research Organization:
Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Grant/Contract Number:
NA0003525
OSTI ID:
2584049
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 2585629
Report Number(s):
SAND--2025-06833J; 1770346
Journal Information:
Chemical Physics Reviews, Journal Name: Chemical Physics Reviews Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 6; ISSN 2688-4070
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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