Wöhler Conference 2014

Insights into the Solution Structure of Polyoxoaurates: UV-Vis Spectral Simulations by TD-DFT

Aleksandar Kondinski, Nina Vankova*, Thomas Heine

School of Engineering and Science, Jacobs University, Campus Ring 1, 28759 Bremen, Germany, E-Mail: a.kondinski@jacobs-university.de

The quest for new structural architectures in metal-oxo nanocluster chemistry has led to the recent discovery of noble metal based polyoxoanions (Pd, Au and Pt). These new materials exhibit potential to serve as well-characterizable models for understanding industrially important noble metal catalyzed oxidation processes including molecular oxygen.[1]
In this contribution we report a de novo approach for correlating structural to spectroscopic properties of the two hitherto known polyoxoaurates [Au4As4O20]8- (Au4As4)[2a] and [Au4Se4O16]4- (Au4Se4)[2b]. Our approach combines time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations, experimental UV-Vis spectroscopy and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS).[3] The TD-DFT calculated excitation spectra can describe well the observed spectra of Au4Se4, while in the case of Au4As4 it reveals strong UV-Vis spectra dependence on the polyanion–cation interactions. Good agreement between theory and experiment is obtained for the dimeric assemblies of Na5Au8As8, clarifying the perceptible differences in the experimental UV-Vis spectra of the two polyoxoaurates. The existence of the Na5Au8As8 assemblies in the solutions of Au4As4 is corroborated by an ESI-MS study.
Accurate predictions of the UV-Vis spectra of metal-oxo clusters by TD-DFT are currently beyond routine. The approach presented in this study can be extended to other systems as an alternative for understanding the structural properties in solution, especially in systems where conventional techniques such as NMR and ESR are not applicable.

 

[1]        J.C. Goloboy, W. G. Klemperer, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2009, 48, 3562. 
[2]        (a) N. V. Izarova, N. Vankova, T. Heine, R. Ngo Biboum, B. Keita, L. Nadjo, U. Kortz, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2010, 49, 1886. (b) Y. Xiang, N. V. Izarova, F. Schinle, O. Hampe, B. Keita and U. Kortz, Chem. Commun. 2012, 48, 9849.
[3]        A. Kondinski, N. Vankova, F. Schinle, P. Jäger, O. Hampe, U. Kortz, T. Heine, Eur. J. Inorg. Chem. 2014 (accepted for publication).


No comments: