Excited state properties of the (tropylium)molybdenum tricarbonyl cation

Abstract

The electronic spectrum of [(η-C₇H₇)Mo⁰(CO)₃]⁺ shows its longest-wavelength absorption at λ_max = 379 nm which is assigned to a Mo⁰→η-C₇H₇⁺ MLCT transition; the ³MLCT excited state is luminescent at room temperature; solid [(η-C₇H₇)Mo⁰(CO)₃]PF₆ as well as solutions of the complex in MeCN display this emission at λ_maxca. 580 nm; the MLCT state is also reactive; in EtOH solutions [(η-C₇H₇)Mo⁰(CO)₃]⁺ is reduced to [(η-C₇H₈)Mo⁰(CO)₃] with phi = 0.18 at λ_irr = 366 nm.