Theoretical-Experimental Study of Nitroxil and Nitroxyl-Complexes in Ruthenium(II) Tetraammines

Author(s)

Augusto Cesar Huppes da Silva

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: São Carlos.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Química de São Carlos (IQSC/BT)
• Defense date: 2016-12-12

Examining board members

Benedito dos Santos Lima Neto; Ataualpa Albert Carmo Braga; André Luiz Barboza Formiga; Juarez Lopes Ferreira da Silva

• Advisor: Douglas Wagner Franco

Abstract

The properties of free nitroxyl molecule and the nitroxyl ligand in Ru(II) tetraammines (trans-[Ru(NH3)4(nitroxyl)n(L)]2+n, n = nitroxyl charge and L = NH3, py, P(OEt)3, H2O, Cl- and Br-) were studied trough density functional theory (DFT). According to the calculated conformation energies the HNO complexes are more stable than the deprotonated analogues and the singlet configuration (trans-1[Ru(NH3)4(L)HNO]2+) is lower energy the than the corresponding triplet (trans-3[Ru(NH3)4(L)HNO]2+). Evaluation of the σ and π components in the L-Ru-HNO bond suggest that increased stability of these orbitals and enhanced contributions from the HNO orbitals correlate to shorter Ru-N(H)O distances and lower νNO stretching frequencies. The stability of the Ru-HNO bond was also evaluated through a theoretical kinetic study on HNO dissociation from trans-1[Ru(NH3)4(L)HNO]2+. Accordingly, the order of the Ru-HNO bonding stability in trans-1[Ru(NH3)4(L)HNO]2+ as a function of L is: H2O > Cl- ~ Br- > NH3 > py > P(OEt)3, which parallels the order of the trans effect and trans influence series experimentally measured for L in octahedral complexes. The same trend was also observed using the explicit solvent model, thus considering the presence of both the HNO and H2O molecules in the transition state. For this series, the calculated bond energies for the Ru-HNO bond are in the range 21.4 to 41.5 kcal.mol-1. Good agreement was observed between the calculated ΔG† values for HNO substitution by H2O from the complex trans-1[Ru(NH3)4(P(OEt)3HNO]2+ (28.5 kcal mol-1) and the available experimental data for substitution reactions of trans-[Ru(NH3)4(POEt)3(Lx)]2+ (19.4 to 24.0 kcal.mol-1 for Lx = isn and P(OET)3, respectively). Cyclic voltammetry experiments were carried out observing the reduction processes of the nitrosonium ligand generating nitroxil and could generate ammonia, which was also observed by calculations involving the effect of a first sphere of solvation. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 12/22270-7 - HNO donor compounds: a thermodynamic, kinetic, experimental and theoretical approach
• Grantee: Augusto Cesar Huppes da Silva
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate