Structural dynamics of nitrosylruthenium isomeric complexes studied with steady-state and transient pump-probe infrared spectroscopies

•Vibrational dynamics of four nitrosylruthenium isomeric complexes were revealed by femtosecond IR pump-probe spectroscopy.•Geometric and ligand factors are responsible for the shifting of the NO stretching peak frequency.•Ultrafast structural dynamics of nitrosylruthenium isomeric complexes were analyzed.

The characteristic nitrosyl stretching (NO) in the region of 1800–1900 cm− 1 was used to study the geometric and ligand effect on two nitrosylruthenium complexes, namely [Ru(OAc)(2QN)2NO] (QN = 2-chloro-8-quinolinol (H2cqn) or QN = 2-methyl-8-quinolinol (H2mqn)). The NO stretching frequency (νNO) was found in the following order: νcis-1 (2cqn) > νcis-2 (2cqn) > νcis-1 (2mqn) > νtrans (2mqn). The results exhibited a spectral sensitivity of the NO mode to both charge distribution and ligand arrangement, which was supported by ab initio computations and natural bond orbital (NBO) analyses. Further, the vibrational population of the vibrationally excited NO stretching mode was found to relax on the order of 7–10 ps, showing less than 30% variation from one isomer to another, which were explained on the basis of NO local structures and solute-solvent interactions in these isomeric nitrosylruthenium complexes.

Graphical abstractStructural and vibrational dynamics of four nitrosylruthenium isomeric complexes were revealed by steady-state and transient pump-probe infrared spectroscopies.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide