Dipolar pathways in dipolar EPR spectroscopy

Dipolar electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) experiments such as double electron--electron resonance (DEER) measure distributions of nanometer-scale distances between unpaired electrons, which provide valuable information for structural characterization of proteins and...

The Advantages of EPR Spectroscopy in Exploring Diamagnetic Metal Ion Binding and Transfer Mechanisms in Biological Systems

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy has emerged as an ideal biophysical tool to study complex biological processes. EPR spectroscopy can follow minor conformational changes in various proteins as a function of ligand or protein binding or interactions with high resolution and sensitivity. Resolving cellular mechanisms, involving small ligand binding or metal ion transfer, is not trivial and cannot be studied using conventional biophysical tools. In recent years, our group has been using EPR spectroscopy to study the mechanism underlying copper ion transfer in eukaryotic and prokaryotic systems. This mini-review focuses on our achievements following copper metal coordination in the diamagnetic oxidation state, Cu(I), between biomolecules. We discuss the conformational changes induced in proteins upon Cu(I) binding, as well as the conformational changes induced in two proteins involved in Cu(I) transfer. We also consider how EPR spectroscopy, together with other biophysical and computational tools, can identify the Cu(I)-binding sites. This work describes the advantages of EPR spectroscopy for studying biological processes that involve small ligand binding and transfer between intracellular proteins.

Application of EPR Spectroscopy in TiO2 and Nb2O5 Photocatalysis

The interaction of light with semiconducting materials becomes the center of a wide range of technologies, such as photocatalysis. This technology has recently attracted increasing attention due to its prospective uses in green energy and environmental remediation. The characterization of the electronic structure of the semiconductors is essential to a deep understanding of the photocatalytic process since they influence and govern the photocatalytic activity by the formation of reactive radical species. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy is a unique analytical tool that can be employed to monitor the photoinduced phenomena occurring in the solid and liquid phases and provides precise insights into the dynamic and reactivity of the photocatalyst under different experimental conditions. This review focus on the application of EPR in the observation of paramagnetic centers formed upon irradiation of titanium dioxide and niobium oxide photocatalysts. TiO2 and Nb2O5 are very well-known semiconductors that have been widely used for photocatalytic applications. A large number of experimental results on both materials offer a reliable platform to illustrate the contribution of the EPR studies on heterogeneous photocatalysis, particularly in monitoring the photogenerated charge carriers, trap states, and surface charge transfer steps. A detailed overview of EPR-spin trapping techniques in mechanistic studies to follow the nature of the photogenerated species in suspension during the photocatalytic process is presented. The role of the electron donors or the electron acceptors and their effect on the photocatalytic process in the solid or the liquid phase are highlighted.

Remote Oxidative Activation of a [Cp*Rh] Monohydride

Half-sandwich rhodium monohydrides are often proposed as intermediates in catalysis, but little is known regarding the redox-induced reactivity accessible to these species. Here, the κ2-bis-diphenylphosphinoferrocene (dppf) ligand has been used to explore the reactivity that can be induced when a [Cp*Rh] monohydride undergoes remote (dppf-centered) oxidation by 1e–. Chemical and electrochemical studies showed that one-electron redox chemistry is accessible to Cp*Rh(dppf), including a unique quasi-reversible RhII/I process at –0.96 V vs. ferrocenium/ferrocene (Fc+/0). This redox manifold was confirmed by isolation of an uncommon Rh(II) species that was characterized by EPR spectroscopy. Protonation of Cp*Rh(dppf) with anilinium triflate yielded an isolable and inert monohydride, and this species was found to undergo a quasireversible electrochemical oxidation at +0.41 V vs Fc+/0 that corresponds to iron-centered oxidation in the dppf backbone. Thermochemical analysis predicts that this dppf-centered oxidation drives a dramatic increase in acidity of the Rh–H moiety by 23 pKa units, a reactivity pattern confirmed by in situ 1H NMR studies. Taken together, these results show that remote oxidation can effectively induce M–H activation and suggest that ligand-centered redox activity could be an attractive feature for design of new systems relying on hydride intermediates.

Evaluating a dispersion of sodium in sodium chloride for the synthesis of low-valent nickel complexes

The use of a sodium in sodium chloride dispersion is systematically evaluated for the synthesis of nickel(0) and nickel(I) complexes from readily-prepared nickel(II) precursors. A variety of complexes with phosphine and bipyridine-type ligands were accessed, although some reactions were found to produce mixtures of nickel(0) and nickel(I), and yields were highly variable. Several new nickel(I) complexes were obtained, and these were characterised using techniques including NMR spectroscopy, EPR spectroscopy, and single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis.