Red-green-blue emission from tris(5-aryl-8-quinolinolate)Al(III) complexes

A simple yet effective strategy for synthesis of 5-aryl-8-quinolinolate-based electroluminophores with tunable emission wavelengths is presented. Two different pathways for the attachment of electron-donating or electron-withdrawing aryl groups to the 5-position of the quinolinolate ligand via Suzuki coupling were developed. A successful tuning in the emission color was achieved: the emission wavelength was found to correlate with the Hammett constant of the respective substituents, providing a powerful strategy for prediction of the optical properties of new electroluminophores.     

True blue: blue-emitting aluminum(III) quinolinolate complexes

Blue-emitting heteroleptic aluminum(III) bis(2-methyl-8-quinolinolate)phenolate complexes were synthesized. A tunable, blue-to-green emission is achieved by attaching electron-withdrawing modulators to the emisssive quinaldinate ligand. The electronic nature of modulator substituents attached to the position of the highest HOMO (highest occupied molecular orbital) density is used to modulate ligand HOMO levels to achieve effective emission tuning to obtain blue-emitting materials. Optical and electrochemical properties of the resulting complexes were investigated and compared to the results of density functional theory (DFT/B3LYP/6-31G*) studies. The resulting materials may find application as organic light-emitting device materials.     

Emission color tuning in AlQ3 complexes with extended conjugated chromophores

[reaction: see text] A new method for the synthesis of 5-arylethynyl-8-hydroxyquinoline ligands using Sonogashira-Hagihara coupling was developed. The electronic nature of arylethynyl substituents affects the emission color and quantum yield of the resulting Al(III) complex. Photophysical properties of the metallocomplexes correspond to the electron-withdrawing/-donating character of the arylethynyl substituents. Optical properties of such Al(III) complexes correlate with the Hammett constant values of the respective substituents. This strategy offers a powerful tool for the preparation of electroluminophores with predictable photophysical properties.     

High-efficiency tris(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum (Alq3) complexes for organic white-light-emitting diodes and solid-state lighting

Combinations of electron-withdrawing and -donating substituents on the 8-hydroxyquinoline ligand of the tris(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum (Alq(3)) complexes allow for control of the HOMO and LUMO energies and the HOMO-LUMO gap responsible for emission from the complexes. Here, we present a systematic study on tuning the emission and electroluminescence (EL) from Alq(3) complexes from the green to blue region. In this study, we explored the combination of electron-donating substituents on C4 and C6. Compounds 1-6 displayed the emission tuning between 478 and 526 nm, and fluorescence quantum yield between 0.15 and 0.57. The compounds 2-6 were used as emitters and hosts in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). The highest OLED external quantum efficiency (EQE) observed was 4.6%, which is among the highest observed for Alq(3) complexes. Also, the compounds 3-5 were used as hosts for red phosphorescent dopants to obtain white light-emitting diodes (WOLED). The WOLEDs displayed high efficiency (EQE up to 19%) and high white color purity (color rendering index (CRI≈85).     

Study of optoelectronic energy bands and molecular energy levels of tris (8-hydroxyquinolinate) gallium and aluminum organometallic materials from their spectroscopic and electrochemical analysis

For the purpose of investigating electro-molecular absorption bands, energy gaps, E_g and molecular energy levels (ionization potential, IP and electron affinity, EA) of tris (8-hydroxyquinolinate) gallium and aluminum, spectral analysis in conjunction with electrochemical measurements was carried out. UV-Vis-NIR and FTIR spectroscopic measurements were used to assign the electronic and molecular absorption bands in both of the materials. The XRD and scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) technique showed the amorphous nature. From the recorded data of cyclic voltammetry (CV) and materials absorption coefficient, HOMO, LUMO energy levels and energy gaps for Gaq3 and Alq3 were calculated. A bit smaller value of energy gap for Gaq3 (2.80 eV) compared to that of Alq3 (2.86 eV) has been ascribed to the differences in electronic configuration and coordinated bond lengths related to the central metal atom with respect to the quinolinate ligands. A higher value of HOMO energy level for the Alq3 (IP = 6.3 eV) revealed the need of higher potentials to oxidize its molecules comparing to that of Gaq3 (IP = 5.8 eV). It was observed that cationic metals have a direct effect on the physical and chemical behaviors of such organometallic materials that can be exploited to be used in tuning their properties to match the desired application in OSC and/or OLED technologies.     

Photophysical investigation of neutral and diprotonated free-base bis(arylethynyl)porphyrins

The photophysical properties for a series of free-base arylethynyl porphyrins and the corresponding trans-disubstituted tetraphenylporphyrin (H(2)TPP) derivatives lacking arylethynyl functionalities have been studied via electronic absorption and emission spectroscopy in both neutral and diacid forms. Enhanced substituent effects on porphyrin absorption spectra are observed in the arylethynyl porphyrins relative to the H(2)TPP derivatives, owing to the presence of the ethynyl spacer that allows for a coplanar geometry between the porphyrin macrocycle and the appended phenyl substituents. Upon protonation, both series of porphyrins exhibit substantially red shifted absorption and emission spectra and enhanced oscillator strengths, with the magnitude of the spectral shifts being more substantial in the presence of the ethynyl functionalities. Spectral features of the arylethynyl porphyrin bearing p-dimethylamino substituents closely resemble those previously classified as "hyperporphyrin spectra" and are indicative of excited-state charge-transfer character. Protonation of both series of porphyrins results in reduced fluorescence lifetimes and enhanced nonradiative decay rates, and the impact of protonation on these parameters is attenuated in the presence of the arylethynyl functionalities. Our results coupled with previous structural data showing that arylethynyl porphyrins exhibit less structural distortion upon diacid formation relative to H(2)TPP further substantiate the proposal that significant alteration of porphyrin photophysical properties upon diacid formation can be attributed to nonplanar structural distortions induced by protonation.     

Generation of blue light-emitting zinc complexes by band-gap control of the oxazolylphenolate ligand system: syntheses, characterizations, and organic light emitting device applications of 4-coordinated bis(2-oxazolylphenolate) zinc(II) complexes

Color-tunable Zn(II) complexes of the type Zn( N,O-OPh (OxZ)ArX) 2 ( 5), where the ligand consists of an oxazolylphenolate ion connected at the 4-position by a 2,4-substituted aryl functional group with X = NMe 2 a, OMe b, Ph c, Cl d, F 2 e, and CN f, were prepared. X-ray structural studies of 5a, 5b, and 5e showed that a zinc atom was positioned in a distorted tetrahedral coordination environment created by two oxazolylphenolate ligands with N,O-chelation. Hammet plots of absorption and emission maxima, respectively, in UV and photoluminescence (PL) spectra with respect to electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups of the substituents indicate a direct correlation between the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO)-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) band gaps and electronic alterations at the ligand sites. A similar correlation was also observed for the reduction and oxidation potentials in cyclic voltammograms (CVs). A gradual increase in the HOMO-LUMO band gap is seen from electron-donating to electron-withdrawing functional groups, NMe 2 < OMe < Ph < Cl < F 2 < CN. An emission peak with a maximum at 455 nm was achieved when the most electron-withdrawing group (cyano) was applied to the oxazolylphenolate ligand system. Density-functional theory (DFT) calculations on the HOMOs and LUMOs for this series lead to a conclusion similar to that arrived at from a blue-shift trend observed in UV data and trends in the CVs. The 4-coordinated zinc complex ( 5c) was shown to be a potential blue-emitting material, exhibiting a maximum efficiency of 1720 cd/m (2) at 17 V with 0.3 cd/A in a multilayered device structure of ITO/NPB/ 5c/BCP/Alq 3/LiF/Al. On the basis of the low HOMO level of this series, 5a was tested as a hole-transporting material; this resulted in the successful fabrication of a multilayered device of ITO/ 5a/DPVBI/Alq 3/LiF/Al with an efficiency of 7000 cd/m (2) at 13 V with 2.0 cd/A.     

Systematic structure-property investigations and ion-sensing studies of pyridine-derivatized donor/acceptor tetrakis(arylethynyl)benzenes

Nine structural isomers of a tetrakis(arylethynyl)benzene chromophore functionalized with dibutylaniline and pyridine units as respective donors and acceptors have been synthesized and their steady-state spectroscopic parameters investigated. The effects of small structural variations on the electronic absorption and emission spectra have been explored in evaluation of their potential as optical materials components. These structural variations have predictable consequences and thus allow fine-tuning of the optoelectronic properties for specialized applications. Strong solvatochromism is also displayed. Their response to protonation and metal ion complexation caused dynamic shifts in the emission spectra, providing evidence for a stepwise intramolecular charge-transfer switching phenomenon manifested by either hypsochromic or bathochromic shifts in the fluorescence lambda max. These shifts are believed to correlate strongly to the relative energies of the fluorophore's HOMO and LUMO levels. The complete array of compounds represents an interesting set of candidates for fluorescent sensing device components.     

Photophysical and self-assembly properties of asymmetrical multi-aralkyl and arylaldehyde substituted pyrene derivatives

A series of novel asymmetrical pyrene derivatives with aralkyl and aldehyde groups have been successfully synthesized, and their spectroscopic parameters were investigated detailedly. The effects of aralkyl substituent amounts on the electronic absorption and emission spectra have been explored in evaluation of their potential as optical materials components. Moreover, the electrochemical properties of the new pyrene derivatives have been studied for the molecules' HOMO and LUMO levels by cyclic voltammograms. In particular, titration of anhydrous ethanol into dilute CH₂Cl₂ solution of above compounds, an unusual change of the fluorescence value was observed. The change is believed to correlate strongly to intermolecular charge transfer. The morphological evolution of self-assembled pyrene derivatives with (arylethynyl)aldehyde substituents, from tamen-distinct-like morphologies to vesicular textures, was obtained by increasing aralkyl-substituted fragments. These asymmetrical discotic compounds represent an interesting set of candidates for optoelectronic device components.     

Dual room-temperature fluorescent and phosphorescent emission in 8-quinolinolate osmium(II) carbonyl complexes: rationalization and generalization of intersystem crossing dynamics

A new series of quinolinolate osmium carbonyl complexes were synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic methods. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies indicate that these complexes consist of an octahedral ligand arrangement with one chelating quinolinolate, one tfa or halide ligand, and three mutually orthogonal terminal CO ligands. Variation of the substituents on quinolinolate ligands imposes obvious electronic or structural effects, while changing the tfa ligand to an electron-donating iodide slightly increases the charge density on the central osmium atom. These Os(II) complexes show salient dual emissions consisting of fluorescence and phosphorescence, the spectral properties and relaxation dynamics of which have been studied comprehensively. The results, in combination with the theoretical approaches, lead us to propose that the emission mainly originates from the quinolinolate pi pi* state. Both experimental and theoretical approaches generalize various types of intersystem crossing versus those of the tris(quinolinolate) iridium Ir(Q)3, and their relative efficiencies were accessed on the basis of the associated frontier orbital configurations. Our results suggest that [1d(pi)pi* absolute value(H(so))3 pi pi*] (or [3d(pi)pi* absolute value(H(so))1 pi pi*]) in combination with a smaller deltaE(S1-T1) gap (i.e., increasing the MLCT (d(pi)pi*) character) is the main driving force to induce the ultrafast S1 --> T1 intersystem crossing in the third-row transition metal complexes, giving the strong phosphorescent emission.     

Intramolecular dehydro Diels-Alder reactions of diarylacetylenes: switching between benzo[b]- and benzo[c]fluorenones as products by controlling the rearrangement of cyclic allene intermediates

Thermal cyclization of 1-[2-(arylethynyl)phenyl]-3-trimethylsilylpropynones affords a mixture of benzo[b]fluorenones and benzo[c]fluorenones. The ratio of the two isomers can be efficiently varied between 100:0 and 0:100 by introducing substituents with appropriate electronic and steric properties on the aryl rings and using an appropriate solvent.     

Brightly full-color emissions of oligo(p-phenylenevinylene)s: substituent effects on photophysical properties

A simple and effective strategy for synthesis of bis-dipolar trimeric OPVs (a-g) with same push-pull electron groups at the two ends is presented. Their photophysical and electrochemical properties were investigated by UV-vis, fluorescence spectroscopies, and voltammetry techniques. A successful tuning in the emission color was achieved and the LUMO energy level was found to correlate with the Hammett constant of the respective substituents, providing a powerful strategy for prediction of the photoelectrical properties of the new chromophores.     

O,O'-Disubstituted N,N'-dihydroxynaphthalenediimides (DHNDI): first principles designed organic building blocks for materials science

N,N'-Disubstituted naphthalenediimides (NDIs), planar, electron-deficient building blocks, play an important role in materials and biological sciences. Naphthalene core substituents control the HOMO and LUMO energies, whereas the N-alkyl or aryl substituents affect the solubility, aggregation, and packing propensity in condensed phases. N,N'-Dihydroxynaphthalenediimide (DHNDI) allows expanding the chemical diversity by O-alkylation, acylation, or sulfonylation; these derivatives also allow fine-tuning of the HOMO/LUMO levels. The synthesis, UV-vis, electrochemical, solid state, and computational prediction of the properties of such derivatives are presented.     

Electron delocalization in homoconjugated 7,7-diarylnorbornane systems: a computational and experimental study

A joint computational–experimental study has been carried out to analyze the homoconjugative interactions in 7,7‐diarylnorbornane (DPN) derivatives. The experimentally observed new bands in their UV/Vis have been accurately assigned by means of TD‐DFT calculations. Both experimental data and computations show that aromatic homoconjugation in acyclic systems is an effective mechanism for electron delocalization that resembles the situation described for polyphenylenes and polyenes. The effective homoconjugation length in homoconjugated oligomers is in the range of 6–7 aryl rings. The effect of substituents directly attached to the para carbon atom of the DPN moiety have been also studied. We found that the HOMO→LUMO vertical transitions can indeed be modified by the nature of the aromatic substituents in order to provoke dramatic changes in the electronic properties (i.e., in the absorption spectra) of the studied species.     

Synthesis and characterization of (octaaryltetraazaporphyrinato)indium(III) complexes for optical limiting

The preparation of (octaaryltetraazaporphyrinato)indium(III) chlorides [aryl = phenyl (5a), p-tert-butylphenyl (6a), p-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl (7a), m-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl (8a)] and their reactions with aryl Grignard reagents XMgBr to give 5b-8b [X = p-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl] and 5c (R = 3,5-difluorophenyl) are described. The characterization of all compounds by UV-vis, FT-IR, and (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy was performed. The hypsochromic shift of all bands in the absorption spectra of complexes 5a-8a is observed in the sequence 6a < 5a < 7a approximately 8a. This is associated with the increasing electron-withdrawing character of the aryl substituents in the periphery of the tetraazaporphyrin macrocycle. Compounds 8a,b are very good soluble in organic solvents with 8a exhibiting the higher photochemical stability among the various synthesized species. The optical limiting (OL) properties of the complexes have been studied and correlated with the structure of the (tetraazaporphyrinato)indium(III) complexes and the electronic nature of the different substituents. In particular, the OL effect at 532 nm increases on going from the series of compounds 5 to the series 8.     

Photophysical and electrochemical properties of 1,7-diaryl-substituted perylene diimides

Substituent effects on the photophysical and electrochemical properties of 1,7-diaryl-substituted perylene diimides (1,7-Ar(2)PDIs) have been carefully explored. Progressive red-shifts of the absorption and emission maxima were observed when the electron-donating ability of these substituents was increased. Linear Hammett correlations of 1/lambda(max) versus sigma(+) were observed in both spectral analyses. The positive slopes of the Hammett plots suggested that the electronic transitions carry certain amounts of photoinduced intramolecular charge-transfer (PICT) character from the aryl substituents to the perylene diimide core which leads to the reduction of the electron density on the substituents. The substituent electronic effects originated mainly from the perturbation of the core PDI HOMO energy level by the substituents. This conclusion was supported by PM3 analyses and confirmed by cyclic voltammetry experiments. More interestingly, the Ph(2)NC(6)H(4)-substituted PDI, 4i, showed an unusual dual-band absorption that spans from 450 to 750 nm. We tentatively assigned these two bands as the charge-transfer band and the PDI core absorption, respectively.     

Vacuum-ultraviolet spectroscopy of poly(methylphenylsilylene)

The first vacuum-ultraviolet spectrum of a polysilylene (chain-type polysilane) with aromatic substituents is presented. Assignments of the absorption bands of the model compound poly(methylphenylsilylene) are based on previous experimental data and theoretical electronic band structure calculations for poly(alkylsilylenes) and on ultraviolet spectra of phenyl-containing monomers and polymers. Although aryl orbitals mix with the sigma-conjugated orbitals located along the catenated silicon backbone, some transitions are largely localized on the phenyl groups. These assignments elucidate the nature of the bonding in polysilylenes and should be useful in understanding photodegradation mechanisms and in the design of related new optical materials.     

Dimesitylborylethynylated Arenes: Unique Electronic and Photophysical Properties Caused by Ethynediyl (C≡C) Spacers

Herein, we report the synthesis and electrochemical and photophysical properties of aromatic hydrocarbons having one or two dimesitylborylethynyl peripherals. The mono- ( 1 ) and diboryl compounds ( 2 ), readily prepared by nucleophilic substitution reaction, are fairly stable to air and moisture in the solid state. The inserted ethynediyl (C≡C) spacer cancels the steric hindrance between the bulky dimesitylboryl groups and aromatic rings, leading to effective π conjugation over the B−C≡C−Ar linkages, as revealed by cyclic voltammetry. Despite the small structural differences, the photophysical properties of the benzene, naphthalene, and anthracene derivatives are different. Virtually no emission was observed from the benzene derivatives, whereas the anthracene derivatives emitted with high quantum yields both in solution and in the solid state. Notably, the naphthalene derivatives showed aggregation-induced emission behavior. Unlike the common sterically congested triarylborane derivatives reported so far, the anthracene derivatives showed π–π*-type absorption and emission bands, which derive from efficient intramolecular orbital interactions between the boron centers and anthracene moieties, as supported by DFT calculations. As a result, the dimesitylborylethynyl substituents effectively lower the LUMO levels of the aromatic hydrocarbon parts, whereas the HOMO levels are almost unaffected, thereby leading to materials with controllable HOMO–LUMO gaps.     

Incorporating BODIPY fluorophores into tetrakis(arylethynyl)benzenes

Six structural isomers of a tetrakis(arylethynyl)benzene (TAEB) chromophore functionalized with dibutylamine and BODIPY moieties as the corresponding donor and acceptor units were prepared. To evaluate the effectiveness of the donor group, two TAEB molecules and three structurally related bis(arylethynyl)benzene (BAEB) isomers containing only acceptors were also synthesized. The electronic absorption and emission spectra of each series were examined. Additionally, computational studies were employed to corroborate the relative energy levels and gaps present in each series.     

一类[Os(II)(CO)3(tfa)(L)](L=O^O,O^N,N^N)配合物的结构和光谱特征

采用密度泛函理论以及B3LYP方法和单激发组态相互作用(CIS)方法分别优化了一系列[Os(II)(CO)3(tfa)(L)](tfa为三氟乙酸; L=O^O(1), O^N(2), N^N(3), 其中O^O为六氟乙酰丙酮, O^N为羟基喹啉, N^N为3-(三氟甲基)-5-(2-吡啶基)吡唑)配合物的基态和激发态结构. 利用含时密度泛函理论(TD-DFT)结合极化连续溶剂化模型(PCM)计算了配合物在CH2Cl2溶液中的吸收和发射光谱. 研究结果表明, 优化得到的几何结构参数和相应的实验值符合得非常好, 激发态几何构型相对基态变化较小, 这与实验上观察到的较小的斯托克斯频移现象一致. 配合物1-3的最低能吸收分别在342、431和329 nm, 其磷光发射分别在521、638 和488 nm. 配合物1-3的最高占据分子轨道和最低空轨道主要表现为L配体的π和π*轨道特征, 所以它们的最低能吸收归属于π-π*电荷跃迁, 并混有少量的金属到配体的电荷跃迁(MLCT)和配体之间电荷跃迁(LLCT)微扰, 且其高能吸收也表现为配体内部(IL)和配体间(LL)的电荷跃迁. 此外, 它们的磷光发射和吸收有相似的跃迁特征.