Probing the Design Rules for Optimizing Electron Spin Relaxation in Densely Packed Triplet Media for Quantum Applications.

Quantum technologies using electron spins have the advantage of employing chemical qubit media with tunable properties. The principal objective of material engineers is to enhance photoexcited spin yields and quantum spin relaxation. In this study, we demonstrate a facile synthetic approach to control spin properties in charge-transfer cocrystals consisting of 1,2,4,5-tetracyanobenzene (TCNB) and acetylated anthracene.

A Paramagnetic Nickel-Zinc Hydride Complex.

Reaction of a molecular zinc-hydride [{(ArNCMe)CH}ZnH] (Ar=2,6-di-isopropylphenyl) with 0.5 equiv. of [Ni(CO)Cp] led to the isolation of a nickel-zinc hydride complex containing a bridging 3-centre,2-electron Ni-H-Zn interaction.

Mixed Valence {NiNi} Clusters as Models of Acetyl Coenzyme A Synthase Intermediates.

Acetyl coenzyme A synthase (ACS) catalyzes the formation and deconstruction of the key biological metabolite, acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA). The active site of ACS features a {NiNi} cluster bridged to a [FeS] cubane known as the A-cluster. The mechanism by which the A-cluster functions is debated, with few model complexes able to replicate the oxidation states, coordination features, or reactivity proposed in the catalytic cycle.

Heterobimetallic 3d-4f complexes supported by a Schiff-base tripodal ligand.

Complexes featuring multiple metal centres are of growing interest regarding metal-metal cooperation and its tuneability. Here the synthesis and characterisation of heterobimetallic complexes of a 3d metal (4: Mn, 5: Co) and lanthanum supported by a (1,1,1-tris[(3-methoxysalicylideneamino)methyl]ethane) ligand is reported, as well as discussion of their electronic structure electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, electrochemical experiments and computational studies. Competitive binding experiments of the ligand and various metal salts unequivocally demonstrate that in these heterobimetallic complexes the 3d metal (Mn, Co) selectively occupies the κ-NO binding site of the ligand, whilst La occupies the κ-O metal binding site in line with their relative oxophilicities.