The spectroelectrochemical behaviour of redox-active manganese salen complexes

Salens are well-known for their ability to catalyse electrochemical transformations; however, despite their rich history, the fundamental reduction chemistry of these systems remains relatively unexplored. This work reports the design and synthesis of eight discrete, functionalised Mn(III) pyridyl salen metal complexes, in which the diamine is varied. The electrochemical properties of the complexes were examined using cyclic voltammetry (CV), spectroelectrochemical (SEC) techniques and Density Functional Theory (DFT) computational modelling to explore the mechanisms that underly Mn salen reduction chemistry. We briefly examine the electrochemistry of these complexes in the presence of CO2. These complexes represent potential ligands for incorporation into both discrete and extended metallosupramolecular assemblies.