Solvent effects on the electronic and vibrational properties of high-valent oxomolybdenum(V) 5,10,15-triphenylcorrole probed by UV-visible and resonance Raman spectroscopy

Solution UV-visible electronic absorption and resonance Raman (RR) scattering spectra in 25 aprotic organic solvents have been measured and analyzed for a high-valent molybdenum(V) oxo complex of 5,10,15-triphenylcorrole, (MoVO)CorPh3. Optical absorption data in the visible region show a significant positive solvatochromism upon increasing solvent polarizability (ca. 660 cm-1 for the violet Soret band on going from acetonitrile to carbon disulfide), described by an excellent linear correlation between the bathochromic shifts of corrole π → π* electronic transitions and the solvent refractive index $n_{\rm D}^{20}$. Isotope labeling of the terminal oxo group with 18O revealed the oxo-Mo(V) stretch of (MoVO)CorPh3 to vibrate at frequency ν(MoVO) ≈ 970 cm-1 [Δ(16O-18O) = 46 cm-1], consistent with a MoV≡O triple bond. This vibration is greatly enhanced in the RR spectra with excitations within the Soret absorption band and its frequency is sensitive to solute-solvent interactions that weaken the MoV≡O triple ...