摘要:
A new series of proximal proximal-[Ru-2(tpy)(2)(L)XY](n+) (p,p-Ru2XY, tpy = 2,2':6',2 ''-terpyridine, L = 5-phenyl-2,8-di(2-pyridyl)-1,9,10-anthyridine, X and Y = other coordination sites) were synthesized using, photoisomerization of a mononuclear complex. The p,p-Ru2XY complexes undergo unusual reversible bridge-exchange reactions to generate p,p-Ru-2(mu-Cl), p,p-Ru-2(mu-OH), and p,p-Ru-2(OH)(OH2) with mu-Cl, mu-OH, as well as hydroxo and aquo ligands at X and Y sites of p,p-Ru2XY, respectively. The geometric and electronic structures of these complexes were characterized based on UV vis and H-1 NMR spectra, X-ray crystallography, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. H-1 NMR data showed C-2 symmetry of p,p-Ru-2(OH)(OH2) with the distorted L chelate and nonequivalence of two tpy ligands, in contrast to the C-2 symmetry of p,p-Ru-2(mu-Cl) and p,p-Ru-2(mu-OH). However, irrespective of the lower symmetry, p,p-Ru-2(OH)(OH2) is predominantly formed in neutral and weakly basic conditions due to the specially stabilized core structure by multiple hydrogen-bond interactions among aquo, hydroxo, and backbone L ligands. The electrochemical data suggested that p,p-Ru-2(OH)(OH2) (Ru-II-OH:Ru-II-OH2) is oxidized to the Ru-III-OH:Ru-III-OH state at 0.64 V vs saturated calomel electrode (SCE) and further to Ru-IV=O:Ru-IV-OH at 0.79 V by successive 1-proton-coupled 2-electron processes at pH 7.0. The cyclic voltammogram data exhibited that the p,p-Ru-2(OH)(OH2) complex works more efficiently for electrocatalytic water oxidation, compared with a similar mononuclear complex distal-[Ru(tpy)(L)OH2](2+) (d-RuOH2) and p,p-Ru-2(mu-Cl) and p,p-Ru-2(mu-OH), showing that the p,p-Ru-2 core structure with aquo and hydroxo ligands is important for efficient electrocatalytic water oxidation. Bulk electrolysis of the p,p-Ru-2(OH)(OH2) solution corroborated the electrocatalytic cycle involving the Ru-III-OH:Ru-III-OH state species as a resting state. The mechanistic insight into O-O bond formation for O-2 production was provided by the isotope effect on electrocatalytic water oxidation by p,p-Ru-2(OH)(OH2) and d-RuOH2 in H2O and D2O media.