Photofunctional Transition Metal Complexes

With contributions by numerous experts

Focusing on practical applications, the author provides a balanced introduction to the many possible technological uses of metal complexes. Coverage includes the transition metals, lanthanide and actinide complexes, metal porphyrins, and many other complexes. This volume meets the needs of students and scientists in inorganic chemistry, chemical physics, and solid-state physics.

The main emphasis in this book is on the photoprocesses of transition metal complexes and biosystems, but not to the exclusion of other photoprocesses. The book will thus be useful to a wide range of researchers. Beginning with a basic introduction to photophysics, quantum chemistry, and the spectroscopic techniques used for the study of organometallic intermediates and biliproteins, the book goes on to discuss the photochemistry of organometallics, special attention being paid to the photochemistry of metalbonded carbonyls and polynuclear systems in supramolecular photochemistry. After moving to a discussion of large systems, the book then developes some aspects of the photophysics of biosystems, before closing with a discussion of artificial photosynthetic model systems.

This book presents several helpful synthetic methods for diverse multinuclear complexes. The results described can be used to selectively connect mononuclear as well as multinuclear complexes with other metal complexes to construct valuable photofunctional compounds. Using the new synthetic methods, it was possible to selectively connect several types of metal complexes in a single step under relatively mild reaction conditions. This so-called building block approach utilizes various C–C coupling reactions between metal complexes with functional groups as active moieties. Owing to the large pi-conjugation systems, the multinuclear complexes synthesized using coupling reactions showed a strong absorption ability over a wide range of visible light and long emission lifetimes, which are ideal properties for photosensitizers and light absorbers. By combining these coupling methods with the newly developed hydrogenation reactions, the binding mode of the linkers in multinuclear complexes can be modified in order to tune the photophysical properties and photocatalytic ability. As such, the synthesized multinuclear complexes can be used for various purposes, e.g., as photocatalysts and photosensitizers, and in light-harvesting systems. The synthetic methods and strategies presented in this book diversify not only the structures but also functions of multinuclear complexes.

Presents a critical perspective on photofunctional organic and organometallic polymers, with emphasis on fundamental concepts and current practical applications.

J.P. Dahl: Carl Johan Ballhausen (1926–2010).- J.R. Winkler and H.B. Gray: Electronic Structures of Oxo-Metal Ions.- C.D. Flint: Early Days in Kemisk Laboratorium IV and Later Studies.- J.H. Palmer: Transition Metal Corrole Coordination Chemistry. A Review Focusing on Electronic Structural Studies.- W.C. Trogler: Chemical Sensing with Semiconducting Metal Phthalocyanines.- K.M. Lancaster: Biological Outer-Sphere Coordination.- R.K. Hocking and E.I. Solomon: Ligand Field and Molecular Orbital Theories of Transition Metal X-ray Absorption Edge Transitions.- K.B. Møller and N.E. Henriksen: Time-resolved X-ray diffraction: The dynamics of the chemical bond.