Expe
rimental and computational
results fo
r the two-step
redox system [Cl
5Os(NO)]
n- (
n = 1-3) a
re
repo
rted anddiscussed in compa
rison to the
related one-step
redox systems [Cl
5Ru(NO)]
n- and [Cl
5I
r(NO)]
n- (
n = 1, 2). Theosmium system exhibits
rema
rkably low oxidation and
reduction potentials. The st
ructu
re of the p
recu
rso
r (PPh
4)
2[Cl
5Os(NO)] is established as an {MNO}
6 species with almost linea
r OsNO a
rrangement at 178.1
![](/images/entities/deg.gif)
. Density-functionaltheo
ry (DFT) calculations confi
rm this
result, and a compa
rison of st
ructu
res calculated fo
r seve
ral oxidation states
reveals an inc
reased labilization of the t
rans-positioned M-Cl bond on
reduction in the o
rde
r M = I
r < Os < Ru.Acco
rdingly, the intact
reduced fo
rm [Cl
5Os(NO)]
3- could not be obse
rved in fluid solution even on elect
rolysis at-70
![](/images/entities/deg.gif)
C in
n-buty
ronit
rile solution, as confi
rmed both by DFT calculations and by compa
rison with the elect
ronpa
ramagnetic
resonance and inf
ra
red spect
roelect
rochemically cha
racte
rized
redox pai
rs
cis-[(bpy)
2ClOs(NO)]
2+/+and [(CN)
5Os(NO)]
2-/3-. The DFT calculations indicate that the oxidation of [Cl
5Os(NO)]
2- occu
rs la
rgely on themetal, the highest occupied molecula
r o
rbital (HOMO) of the p
recu
rso
r being composed of Os 5d (58%) and Cl
eq3p o
rbitals (41%). As fo
r the
related [(CN)
5Os(NO)]
2-, the
reduction is la
rgely NO cente
red, the lowest unoccupiedmolecula
r o
rbital (LUMO) of [Cl
5Os(NO)]
2- has 61%
![](/images/gifcha<font color=)
rs/pi.gif" BORDER=0 >*(NO) cha
racte
r with significant 5d Os cont
ributions (34%).A
rathe
r la
rge deg
ree of metal-NO back-donation is estimated to occu
r in the {OsNO}
7 configu
ration of [Cl
5Os(NO)]
3-which leads to an unusual low value of 1513 cm
-1 calculated fo
r ![](/images/gifcha<font color=)
rs/nu.gif" BORDER=0 >(NO), signifying cont
ributions f
rom an Os
III(NO
-)fo
rmulation. Detailed analyses of the confo
rmational dependence of the
g anisot
ropy suggest that the diffe
rent
reduced species
repo
rted p
reviously fo
r [Cl
5Os(NO)]
3- in AgCl host lattices may be distinct in te
rms of eclipsed o
rstagge
red confo
rmations of the bent NO
![](/images/entities/bull.gif)
axial ligand
relative to the Os
IICl
4 equato
rial plane. The stagge
red fo
rmis calculated to be mo
re stable by 105 cm
-1. The weak abso
rptions of [Cl
5Os(NO)]
2- at 573, 495, and 437 nm a
reassigned as MLCT/LLCT t
ransitions to the doubly degene
rate
![](/images/gifcha<font color=)
rs/pi.gif" BORDER=0 >*(NO) LUMO. The oxidized fo
rm [Cl
5Os(NO)]
-contains Os
III in an {OsNO}
5 configu
ration with a spin density of 0.711 on Os. In all th
ree states of [Cl
5Os(NO)]
n-,the N bonded fo
rm is vastly p
refe
rred ove
r the NO-side-on bonded alte
rnative.