Developing homogeneous first row early transition metal catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction.

The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) remains an important fixture in biological and synthetic systems for energy conversion and chemical functionalization. Late transition metals continue to dominate in the development of new catalyst systems, inspired by well-characterized metallocofactors and prior successes. By comparison, metals to the left of Fe on the periodic table are relatively understudied for the ORR.

Role of the Trifluoropropynyl Ligand in Blue-Shifting Charge-Transfer States in Emissive Pt Diimine Complexes and an Investigation into the PMMA-Imposed Rigidoluminescence and Rigidochromism.

Square-planar Pt complexes are of interest as dopants for the emissive layer of organic light-emitting diodes. Herein, the photophysics of three Pt bipyridyl complexes with the strongly e withdrawing, high-field, 3,3,3-trifluoropropynyl ligand has been investigated. One complex, (phbpy)PtCCF (phbpy = 6-phenyl-2,2'-dipyridyl), has also been characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction.