Definitive assignments of the visible-near-IR bands of porphyrin-naphthalocyanine rare-earth sandwich double- and triple-decker compounds by magnetic circular dichroism spectroscopy

A series of heteroleptic rare-earth sandwich complexes [M(Nc)(OEP)] (M = La, Nd, Eu, Dy, and Lu; Nc = 2,3-naphthalocyaninate; OEP = octaethylporphyrinate) have been investigated by electronic absorption and magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) spectroscopy. The electronic absorption spectra of the neutral forms showed two characteristic transitions (bands I and II) in the near-IR region, both of which were systematically shifted depending on the size of their central metal. In the MCD spectra, a relatively intense Faraday A term and a significantly weak Faraday B term have been observed corresponding to bands II and I, respectively. The spectral features were successfully interpreted using a simple MO model by considering the relevant interactions of Gouterman's four orbitals of the constituent chromophores. The model succeeded in assigning the MCD spectra of the related compounds, the oxidized and reduced forms of the dimer ([M(Nc)(OEP)](+) and [M(Nc)(OEP)]), and neutral forms of the triple-docker compounds (M-2(Nc)(OEP)(2), M = Nd, Eu). DFT calculations of the dimers supported the validity of this model.