Charge-Transfer Ion Pairs. Structure and Photoinduced Electron Transfer of Carbonylmetalate Salts

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/ja00195a022

Brightly colored crystals, readily isolated from such colorless carbonylmetalates as Co(CO)4(1-), Mn(CO)5(1-), and V(CO)6(1-) in conjunction with various metallocenium and pyridinium cations, are identified as charge-transfer (CT) salts by their unambiguous absorption and diffuse reflectance spectra.X-ray crystallography of such CT salts establishes the relevant interionic separations, the spatial cation/anion orientations, as well as the deviations from tetrahedral Co(CO)4(1-) configuration that are all inherent to the charge-transfer interaction of intimate ion pairs.The Co(CO)4(1-) distortions, as observed in the crystal structures, are also revealed by their characteristic carbonyl IR spectra.The persistence of the unique carbonyl IR and charge-transfer absorption bands in nonpolar solvents thus leads to contact ion pairs (CIP) that are closely related or structurally the same as those elucidated by X-ray crystallography.Accordingly, the charge-transfer excitation of contact ion pairs can be examined directly in solution by time-resolved spectroscopy.The spectral observation of the radical pair .> from the 532-nm excitation of the charge-transfer salt with a 10-ns laser pulse represents the experimental verification of Mulliken theory.As such, the efficient scavenging of such labile 17-electron carbonylmetal radicals as Co(CO)4^. and Mn(CO)5^. affords a rich menu of productive photochemistry attendant upon the charge-transfer excitation of contact ion pairs.