Conformational Control of Oligo(p‐phenyleneethynylene)s with Intrinsic Substituent Electronic Effects: Origin of the Twist in Pentiptycene‐Containing Systems

Dependence of the backbone planarity of oligo(p‐phenyleneethynylene)s (OPEs) on the intrinsic electronic character of substituents and on the nature of the solvent has been experimentally demonstrated with a series of center‐symmetrical five‐ring systems, pentiptycene‐pentiptycene‐arene‐pentiptycene‐pentiptycene, differing in the substituents on the central arene. In frozen 2‐methyltetrahydrofuran (MTHF), the adjacent pentiptycene units prefer to be in a mutually twisted orientation when the substituents are electron‐withdrawing (F and amido), resulting in a TPPT or TTTT conformation, whereas a planarized PPPP backbone is favored in the case of electron‐donating substituents (alkyl and alkoxy). The propensity to adopt the PPPP form is generally enhanced by replacing MTHF with either methylcyclohexane or mixed ethanol/methanol as solvent. These observations reveal that the twist between adjacent pentiptycene units in OPEs is a consequence of the electronic rather than steric effects of iptycenyl substituents. The electronic effect of iptycenyl substituents is manifested in decreased phenylene π polarizability as the net effect of both electron‐donating hyperconjugation and an electron‐withdrawing inductive effect. Variable‐temperature electronic absorption and emission spectroscopies are the critical tools for this work. Our findings provide important guidelines for conformational and electronic engineering of OPEs and for the design of novel iptycene‐based organic electronic materials.     

Columnar Self‐Assembly in Electron‐Deficient Heterotriangulenes

A series of soluble carbonyl‐bridged heterotriangulenes, in which flexible n‐dodecyl chains are attached through different spacers to the planar nitrogen‐centered polycyclic core, have been synthesized. The introduction of triisopropylsilylethynyl moieties enabled, for the first time, the characterization of single‐crystal columnar packing of a substituted heterotriangulene by X‐ray crystallography. Electrochemical studies disclosed the carbonyl‐bridged heterotriangulene core as a reasonably strong acceptor for a reversible two‐electron transfer. The tendency of substituted heterotriangulenes to self‐assemble in solution, on surfaces, and in the bulk appeared to sensitively depend on the nature of the lateral substituents, their steric demand, and the applied solution processing conditions. It can be concluded that 1) additional phenylene moieties between the heterotriangulene core and the n‐dodecyl chains facilitate self‐assembly by extending the π‐conjugated polycyclic disc, 2) the rod‐like ethynylene spacers introduce some additional flexibility and hence lower the overall aggregation tendency, and 3) the combination of both features in the phenylene–ethynylene moieties induces thermotropic liquid crystallinity.     

Effect of Substituents in Catechol Dye Sensitizers on Photovoltaic Performance of Type II Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

In order to provide a direction in molecular design of catechol (Cat) dyes for type II dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), the dye‐to‐TiO₂ charge‐transfer (DTCT) characteristics of Cat dyes with various substituents and their photovoltaic performance in DSSCs are investigated. The Cat dyes with electron‐donating or moderately electron‐withdrawing substituents exhibit a broad absorption band corresponding to DTCT upon binding to TiO₂ films, whereas those with strongly electron‐withdrawing substituents exhibit weak DTCT. This study indicates that the introduction of a moderately electron‐withdrawing substituent on the Cat moiety leads to not only an increase in the DTCT efficiency, but also the retardation of back electron transfer. This results in favorable conditions for the type II electron‐injection pathway from the ground state of the Cat dye to the conduction band of the TiO₂ electrode by the photoexcitation of DTCT bands.     

Specific Noncovalent Association of Chiral Large‐Ring Hexaimines: Ion Mobility Mass Spectrometry and PM7 Study

Ion mobility mass spectrometry and PM7 semiempirical calculations are effective complementary methods to study gas phase formation of noncovalent complexes from vaselike macrocycles. The specific association of large‐ring chiral hexaimines, derived from enantiomerically pure trans‐1,2‐diaminocyclohexane and various isophthaldehydes, is driven mostly by CH–π and π–π stacking interactions. The isotrianglimine macrocycles are prone to form two types of aggregates: tail‐to‐tail and head‐to‐head (capsule) dimers. The stability of the tail‐to‐tail dimers is affected by the size and electronic properties of the substituents at the C‐5 position of the aromatic ring. Electron‐withdrawing groups stabilize the aggregate, whereas bulky or electron‐donating groups destabilize the complexes.     

交叉共轭型烯酮化合物分子内的电荷转移

近年来有关分子内电行转移化合物的设计、合成及其光谱、光物理并为的研究引起＾们极大的兴趣[1－4]．这类化合物在激发态时常表现出一些特殊的性能，如出现扭曲的分子内电行转移（TICT）现象，并在荧光光谱中出现奇特的K重发光和在荧光强度与温度的依赖关系上出现反常等[5]．TICT态的形成强烈的依赖于化合物分子本身的结构，屯依赖于化合物分子所处环境的极性、温度和粘度等因素同．带有强给电子基（CH3卜N烁酮类化合物是一类有效的光敏剂．它广泛的应用于如光引发聚合、全息成像[7-8]等不同领域．同时其光谱及光物理行为的研究也已兑…     

Silver‐Catalyzed Oxidative Coupling of Aniline and Ene Carbonyl/Acetylenic Carbonyl Compounds: An Efficient Route for the Synthesis of Quinolines

An efficient silver‐mediated coupling of aniline with ene carbonyl/acetylenic carbonyl compounds for the synthesis of quinolines is reported. The transformation is effective for a broad range of substrates, thus enabling the expansion of substituent architectures on the heterocyclic framework. The electronic properties of the substituents on the amine have been investigated. It was found that molecules with both electron‐donating and electron‐withdrawing substituents were suitable substrates for this transformation, and the expected products were obtained in moderate to excellent yields. The use of a single catalytic system to mediate chemical transformations in a synthetic operation is important for the development of new atom‐economic strategies and this strategy is efficient in building complex structures from simple starting materials in an environmentally benign fashion.     

Synthesis,Structure, and Properties of O6‐Corona[3]arene[3]tetrazines

O₆‐Corona[3]arene[3]tetraazines, a new class of macrocyclic compounds, were synthesized efficiently in a one‐pot reaction from the nucleophilic aromatic substitution reaction between 1,4‐dihydroxybenzene derivatives and 3,6‐dichlorotetrazine in warm acetonitrile. In the crystalline structure, the resulting macrocycles adopt highly symmetric structures of a regular hexagonal cavity with all bridging oxygen atoms and tetrazine rings located on the same plane with phenylene units orthogonally orientated. The constitutional aromatic rings are able to rotate around the macrocyclic annulus, depending on the steric effect of the substituents and temperature, in solution. The electron‐deficient nature revealed by cyclic voltammetry, differential pulse voltammetry, and characteristic absorbances at a visible region show the O₆‐corona[3]arene[3]tetrazines to be suitable macrocyclic receptors for electron‐rich guests.     

Syntheses of Thiazole‐Containing Macroheterocycles Related to Porphycene

The syntheses of 2,2′‐bithiazole‐containing and related expanded macrocycles 13 – 16 were accomplished by the McMurry coupling reaction of the corresponding [2,2′‐bithiazole]‐5,5′‐dicarbaldehyde 6c and 2,2′‐(1,4‐phenylene)bis[thiazole‐5‐carbaldehyde] 7 , readily available by a two‐step reaction sequence. The success of the dimerization strongly depends on the steric repulsion of the substituents vicinal to the CHO group.     

Synthesis,Structure, and Properties of O6‐Corona[3]arene[3]tetrazines

O₆‐Corona[3]arene[3]tetraazines, a new class of macrocyclic compounds, were synthesized efficiently in a one‐pot reaction from the nucleophilic aromatic substitution reaction between 1,4‐dihydroxybenzene derivatives and 3,6‐dichlorotetrazine in warm acetonitrile. In the crystalline structure, the resulting macrocycles adopt highly symmetric structures of a regular hexagonal cavity with all bridging oxygen atoms and tetrazine rings located on the same plane with phenylene units orthogonally orientated. The constitutional aromatic rings are able to rotate around the macrocyclic annulus, depending on the steric effect of the substituents and temperature, in solution. The electron‐deficient nature revealed by cyclic voltammetry, differential pulse voltammetry, and characteristic absorbances at a visible region show the O₆‐corona[3]arene[3]tetrazines to be suitable macrocyclic receptors for electron‐rich guests.     

Preparation and Redox Properties of N,N,N‐1,3,5‐Trialkylated Flavin Derivatives and Their Activity as Redox Catalysts

Eight different flavin derivatives have been synthesized and the electronic effects of substituents in various positions on the flavin redox chemistry were investigated. The redox potentials of the flavins, determined by cyclic voltammetry, correlated with their efficiency as catalysts in the H₂O₂ oxidation of methyl p‐tolyl sulfide. Introduction of electron‐withdrawing groups increased the stability of the reduced catalyst precursor.     

Sterically‐Limited Self‐Assembly of Pt4 Macrocycles into Discrete Non‐covalent Nanotubes: Porous Supramolecular Tetramers and Hexamers

We report a template‐free strategy based on steric repulsion for the isolation of discrete columnar aggregates of macrocycles. Specifically, introduction of sterically‐demanding trityl‐derived substituents at the periphery of Pt₄ Schiff base macrocycles limits the otherwise infinite one‐dimensional columnar aggregation to discrete tetrameric and hexameric assemblies. Single crystal X‐ray diffraction studies of these compounds reveal discrete nanotubes of finite length that pack inefficiently resulting in three‐dimensional networks of interconnected void space. The discrete assemblies were studied by N₂ adsorption and show enhanced surface area when stacked. In the absence of bulky substituents the macrocycles are nonporous. This strategy for engineering discrete supramolecular macrocyclic aggregates may be generalized to other columnar assembling systems.     

Controlled Tautomeric Switching in Azonaphthols Tuned by Substituents on the Phenyl Ring

A series of new tautomeric azonaphthols are synthesized and the possibilities for molecular switching are investigated using molecular spectroscopy, X‐ray analysis and density functional theory quantum chemical calculations. Two opposite effects that influence switching are studied: attaching a piperidine sidearm, and adding substituents to the phenyl ring. On the one hand, the attached piperidine moiety stabilizes the enol form leading to a controlled shift of the equilibrium upon protonation. On the other hand, the relative stability of the azonaphthol tautomers strongly depends on the effects of the substituents on the phenyl ring: electron donors tend to stabilize the enol tautomer, whereas electron acceptors lead to stabilization of the keto form. However, these effects do not shift fully the equilibrium towards either of the tautomers. Nevertheless, the effect of the substituents can be an additional tool to affect the switching between “on” and “off” states. Electron‐withdrawing substituents stabilize the keto form and impede switching to the off state, whereas electron donors stabilize the enol form. The effect of the piperidine unit is dominant overall, and with strongly electron‐withdrawing substituents at the phenyl ring, the enol form exists as a zwitterion.     

Synthesis of thiophene/phenylene co‐oligomers. V. Functionalization at molecular terminals toward optoelectronic device applications

We report the synthesis of various thiophene/phenylene co‐oligomers with a total number of thiophene and benzene (phenylene) rings of 5 and 6 with various terminal groups. Those terminal groups have been chosen from among alkyl groups, methoxy groups, trifluoromethyl groups, and cyano groups. The molecular backbone of these compounds comprises phenyl‐ or biphenylyl‐capped thiophene (or oligothiophene) or an alternating co‐oligomer. The synthesis is based on either the Suzuki coupling reaction or the Negishi coupling reaction. These reaction schemes enabled us to obtain the target compounds in high quality. In particular, the latter coupling method turned out to produce the compounds at a high yield. The terminal groups are expected to produce various functionalities based upon their electron donating character (alkyl groups and methoxy groups) or electron withdrawing character (trifluoromethyl groups and cyano groups). Additionally some of these groups bring about enhanced solubility. This will lead to the production of a diversity of modified compounds of thiophene/phenylene co‐oligomers. To give an example that demonstrates usefulness of the target compounds, we present optoelectronic data that are associated with their device applications.     

Synthesis of Biaryls through Nickel‐Catalyzed Suzuki–Miyaura Coupling of Amides by Carbon–Nitrogen Bond Cleavage

The first Ni‐catalyzed Suzuki–Miyaura coupling of amides for the synthesis of widely occurring biaryl compounds through N?C amide bond activation is reported. The reaction tolerates a wide range of electron‐withdrawing, electron‐neutral, and electron‐donating substituents on both coupling partners. The reaction constitutes the first example of the Ni‐catalyzed generation of aryl electrophiles from bench‐stable amides with potential applications for a broad range of organometallic reactions.     

含硝基咔唑类有机电催化剂的合成及其对醇的电催化氧化

有机小分子的电催化氧化是催化领域的一个重要研究内容.通过醇的选择性氧化合成相应醛或酮类化合物在精细化学品和有机化学中间体的合成领域均具有十分重要的意义.有机电催化合成用电子代替强氧化还原剂,可以使反应在比较温和的条件下进行.但在直接电氧化合成反应中,电极表面容易生成有机聚合物膜,使电极钝化,电流效率急剧下降.而在电子转移媒质作用下的有机电催化反应不仅可以避免电极表面钝化,还可以控制目标产物的过度氧化.三芳胺类化合物是一类新型的电氧化还原媒质,由于其具有较宽的电化学氧化还原电位已引起研究者的广泛关注.咔唑类化合物相比于三芳胺类具有更好的平面性,使得取代基效应更为显著.咔唑类化合物被广泛作为荧光材料,但用于电化学方面的研究很少.本文通过在咔唑类化合物中引入具有强吸电子性的硝基以提高该类化合物的氧化电位,并将其作为有机电催化媒质,采用间接电化学氧化的方式,在室温下研究醇的电化学催化氧化反应,合成相应醛类化合物.
　　我们合成了三种含硝基咔唑类有机电催化剂,通过1H NMR对其结构进行了鉴定.采用循环伏安法测试了该类有机电催化剂的电化学氧化还原性能.发现取代基的电子效应对有机电催化剂的氧化还原电位及电化学氧化还原可逆性有很大的影响,供电子基(–OCH3)的引入使氧化电位负移(0.717 V),吸电子基(–Br)的引入使氧化电位明显正移(1.282 V).同时,取代基的引入有效改善了有机电催化剂的电化学可逆性,从而可以作为有效的电氧化还原媒质应用于电化学氧化反应中.而当把化合物中的NO2还原为NH2后,咔唑类化合物的电化学氧化还原可逆性完全消失,表明硝基的引入对咔唑类有机电催化剂的电化学性能有很大的影响.
　　循环伏安结果发现,在咔唑类硝基化合物的作用下,对甲氧基苯甲醇(p-MBzOH)的电化学氧化峰电位从1.350 V降至1.286 V,表明可以在较低电位下进行电解,有效降低了电氧化反应的能耗,同时氧化峰电流明显增加,说明该类有机电催化剂对p-MBzOH具有良好的电催化性能.随着p-MBzOH浓度的增加,氧化峰电流也明显增大,说明在咔唑类有机电催化剂的作用下, p-MBzOH可以在比较高的浓度下进行电化学氧化电解.通过对不同对位取代基的苯甲醇类化合物进行循环伏安研究,发现含硝基咔唑类化合物对具有较高氧化电位的反应底物均表现出良好的电催化氧化性能.
　　在含硝基咔唑类有机电催化剂的氧化电位(1.28 V)和室温下,对不同浓度的p-MBzOH进行恒电位电解6 h,发现当催化剂的用量为底物的2.5 mol%时, p-MBzOH可以完全转化为相应的醛类目标产物.而且恒电位电解后分离回收的含硝基咔唑类有机电催化剂仍具有良好的电化学氧化还原可逆性.     

Turning the Tap: Conformational Control of Quantum Interference to Modulate Single‐Molecule Conductance

Together with the more intuitive and commonly recognized conductance mechanisms of charge‐hopping and tunneling, quantum‐interference (QI) phenomena have been identified as important factors affecting charge transport through molecules. Consequently, establishing simple and flexible molecular‐design strategies to understand, control, and exploit QI in molecular junctions poses an exciting challenge. Here we demonstrate that destructive quantum interference (DQI) in meta‐substituted phenylene ethylene‐type oligomers (m‐OPE) can be tuned by changing the position and conformation of methoxy (OMe) substituents at the central phenylene ring. These substituents play the role of molecular‐scale taps, which can be switched on or off to control the current flow through a molecule. Our experimental results conclusively verify recently postulated magic‐ratio and orbital‐product rules, and highlight a novel chemical design strategy for tuning and gating DQI features to create single‐molecule devices with desirable electronic functions.     

Electronic Properties of Two Series of Blue-Emitting Conjugated Oligomers and Polymers Based on Cyanostilbene： A Quantum Chemistry Study

One of the drawbacks of the electroluminescence （EL） polymers is that they are usually much better at accepting and transporting holes than electrons due to their inherent richness of π-electrons. One approach improving electron injection and transport in conjugated polymers is to incorporate moieties with high electron affinities. In this theoretical work, to gain an insight into the chemical structure-property relationships was aimed by controllable modification of the main chain structures. Two cyanovinylene derivatives with 2,7-fluorenylene and p-phenylene moieties in the main chains, namely, poly { （2,5-dimethoxy-p-phenylene- 1,4-ylene）-alt-[ 1,2-bis（p-phenylene）- 1- cyanovinylene]} （PPhCN） and poly{[9,9-dimethyl-2,7-fluorenylene]-alt-[1,2-bis（p-phenylene）-1-cyanovinylene]} （PFCN）, were studied employing density functional theory （DFT） and time dependent density functional theory （TD-DFT） with B3LYP functional. The electronic properties of the neutral molecules, extrapolated ionization potentials （IP） and electron affinities （EA）, and energy gaps were investigated in comparison with pristine poly（2,7- fluorenylene）. From comparison with poly（2,7-fluorenylene） （PF）, the 1,2-bis（p-phenylene）-1-cyanovi-nylene unit was found to be a good electron-withdrawing moiety for electronic materials and the incorporation of 1,2-bis（p- phenylene）-1-cyanovinylene resulted in a narrow band gap and a red shift of both the absorption and photoluminescence emission peaks. Most importantly, the LUMO energies of PFCN are around 1 eV lower than those of PF, which results in the decrement of EA about 0.9 eV, indicating that the 1,2-bis（p-phenylene）-1-cyanovinylene unit has significantly improved the electron-accepting properties of the copolymer PFCN. Substitution of 2,5-dimethoxy-p-phenylene for 9,9-dimethyl-2,7-fluorenylene induced larger band gaps and thus a blue-shift in absorption and emission peaks, which can be attributed to the better conjugated backbone in PFCN.     

Synthesis and ring‐opening polymerization of macrocyclic (arylene thioether ketone) oligomers

Macrocyclic (arylene thioether ketone) oligomers together with a linear poly(phenylene sulfide ketone) oligomer were synthesized by a one‐step reaction. The macrocycles and linear oligomer were fully characterized by ¹³C‐NMR, H‐NMR, matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (MALDI‐TOF‐MS), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and FT‐IR. Uncatalyzed, simultaneously ring‐opening polymerization (ROP) of the macrocycles and the mixture of macrocycles and linear oligomer were carried out under dynamic heating conditions. The ROP temperature of the macrocycles decreased upon mixing it with the linear oligomer. The ROP conditions and mechanism were investigated and discussed. The macrocycles and their mixture show potential applications in high temperature adhesives and sealants. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Substituent Effect on the π Linkers in Triphenylamine Dyes for Sensitized Solar Cells: A DFT/TDDFT Study

A series of metal‐free organic donor–π bridge–acceptor dyes are studied computationally using density functional theory (DFT) and time‐dependent DFT (TDDFT) approaches to explore their potential performances in dye‐sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Taking triphenylamine (TPA) and cyanoacrylic acid moieties as donor and acceptor units, respectively, the effects of different substituents of the π linkers in the TPA‐based dyes on the energy conversion efficiency of the DSSCs are theoretically evaluated through optimized geometries, charge distributions, electronic structures, simulated absorption spectra, and free energies of injection. The results show that the molecular orbital energy levels and electron‐injection driving forces of the TPA dyes can be tuned by the introduction of substituents with different electron‐withdrawing or ‐donating abilities. The electron‐withdrawing substituent always lowers the energies of both frontier orbitals, while the electron‐donating one heightens them simultaneously. The efficiency trend of these TPA derivatives as sensitizers in DSSCs is also predicted by analyzing the light‐harvesting efficiencies and the free energies of injection. The following substituents are shown to increase the efficiency of the dye: OMe, OEt, OHe, and OH.     

Concerted vs. Non‐Concerted 1,3‐Dipolar Cycloadditions of Azomethine Ylides to Electron‐Deficient Dialkyl 2,3‐Dicyanobut‐2‐enedioates

The quantum‐chemical calculations of the thermal ring opening of 1‐methyl‐2,3‐diphenyl‐ and 1,2,3‐triphenylaziridine with formation of the corresponding azomethine ylides of S‐, U‐, and W‐type as well as their cycloaddition to dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate (DMAD) and dimethyl 2,3‐dicyanobut‐2‐enedioate, were performed at the DFT B3LYP/6‐31G(d) level of theory with the PCM solvation model. The calculations are in complete accordance with experimental results and explain the switch from the concerted to the non‐concerted pathway depending on substituents in the dipolarophile and the ylide. It was found that strong electron‐withdrawing substituents in dipolarophiles, such as in dialkyl dicyanobutenedioates, significantly reduce the barrier for the formation of zwitterionic intermediates in the reaction of azomethine ylides with such dipoles. This can render the stepwise cycloaddition competitive with the concerted one. However, the concertedness of the cycloaddition even to dipolarophiles with several electron‐withdrawing substituents is governed by a fine balance of electronic and steric effects in both ylide and dipolarophile counterparts. The hypothesis that introduction of substituents in the azomethine ylide that destabilize the positive charge in a corresponding zwitterion will favor the concerted cycloaddition even with dialkyl dicyanobutenedioates was tested theoretically and experimentally.