XAS investigation of Molecular Mn Redox Series: Rationalizing electronic structure and photochemical activity

Mn L-edge will be used to measure the d-d excited states in a redox series of Mn molecules spanning oxidation states from II to IV. Here we measure the first series of structurally characterized Mn(II, III, and IV) complexes synthesized with the same ligands. The proposed measurements will identify the character of the metal-ligand interactions and allow full characterization of the ligand field properties of these molecules. Moreover, these properties in Mn(IV) complexes is critical to understanding their photo reactivity. All measurements will be compared to the corresponding Mn oxides.