Synthesis,Electrochemistry, and Photophysics of Aza‐BODIPY Porphyrin Dyes

The synthesis of dyad and triad aza‐BODIPY‐porphyrin systems in two steps starting from an aryl‐substituted aza‐BODIPY chromophore is described. The properties of the resulting aza‐BODIPY‐porphyrin conjugates have been extensively investigated by means of electrochemistry, spectroelectrochemistry, and absorption/emission spectroscopy. Fluorescence measurements have revealed a dramatic loss of luminescence intensity, mainly due to competitive energy transfer and photoinduced electron transfer involving charge separation followed by recombination.     

Redox‐Active Tetraruthenium Macrocycles Built from 1,4‐Divinylphenylene‐Bridged Diruthenium Complexes

Metallamacrocylic tetraruthenium complexes were generated by treatment of 1,4‐divinylphenylene‐bridged diruthenium complexes with functionalized 1,3‐benzene dicarboxylic acids and characterized by HR ESI‐MS and multinuclear NMR spectroscopy. Every divinylphenylene diruthenium subunit is oxidized in two consecutive one‐electron steps with half‐wave potential splittings in the range of 250 to 330 mV. Additional, smaller redox‐splittings between the +/2+ and 0/+ and the 3+/4+ and 2+/3+ redox processes, corresponding to the first and the second oxidations of every divinylphenylene diruthenium entity, are due to electrostatic effects. The lack of electronic coupling through bond or through space is explained by the nodal properties of the relevant molecular orbitals and the lateral side‐by‐side arrangement of the divinylphenylene linkers. The polyelectrochromic behavior of the divinylphenylene diruthenium precursors is retained and even amplified in these metallamacrocyclic structures. EPR studies down to T=4 K indicate that the dications 1‐H²⁺ and 1‐OBu²⁺ are paramagnetic. The dications and the tetracation of macrocycle 3‐H display intense (dications) or weak ( 3‐H⁴⁺ ) EPR signals. Quantum chemical calculations indicate that the four most stable conformers of the macrocycles are largely devoid of strain. Bond parameters, energies as well as charge and spin density distributions of model macrocycle 5‐H^Me were calculated for the different charge and spin states.     

9,10‐Diaminoanthracenes Revisited: The Influence of N‐Substituents on Their Electronic States

The electronic and molecular structures of 9,10‐diamino‐substituted anthracenes with different N‐substituents have been re‐examined. In particular, different N‐substituents influence both the electronic and molecular structures of the oxidized species of 9,10‐diaminoanthracenes. The anthrylene moiety of 9,10‐bis(N,N‐di(p‐anisyl)amino)anthracene retains its planarity during the course of two successive one‐electron oxidations, whereas 9,10‐bis(N,N‐dimethylamino)anthracene and 9,10‐bis(N‐p‐anisyl‐N‐methylamino)anthracene undergo a substantial structural change to a butterfly‐like structure through a two‐electron oxidation process. The structural changes observed for the oxidized states are ascribed to significant differences in the frontier molecular orbitals of the above‐mentioned three kinds of 9,10‐diaminoanthracenes due to different extents of mixing between the amine‐localized and anthrylene‐localized orbitals.     

Modulation of the Physicochemical Properties of Donor–Spiro–Acceptor Derivatives through Donor Unit Planarisation: Phenylacridine versus Indoloacridine—New Hosts for Green and Blue Phosphorescent Organic Light‐Emitting Diodes (PhOLEDs)

This work reports a detailed structure–property relationship study of a series of efficient host materials based on the donor–spiro–acceptor (D‐spiro‐A) design for green and sky‐blue phosphorescent organic light‐emitting diodes (PhOLEDs). The electronic and physical effects of the indoloacridine (IA) fragment connected through a spiro bridge to different acceptor units, namely, fluorene, dioxothioxanthene or diazafluorene moiety, have been investigated in depth. The resulting host materials have been easily synthesised through short, efficient, low‐cost, and highly adaptable synthetic routes by using common intermediates. The dyes possess a very high triplet energy (E_T) and tuneable HOMO/LUMO levels, depending on the strength of the donor/acceptor combination. The peculiar electrochemical and optical properties of the IA moiety have been investigated though a fine comparison with their phenylacridine counterparts to study the influence of planarisation. Finally, these molecules have been incorporated as hosts in green and sky‐blue PhOLEDs. For the derivative SIA‐TXO₂ as a host, external quantum efficiencies as high as 23 and 14 % have been obtained for green and sky‐blue PhOLEDs, respectively.     

Controlled Variable Oxidative Doping of Individual Organometallic Nanoparticles

The charging and controlled oxidative doping of single organometallic ferrocene nanoparticles is reported in aqueous sodium tetrafluoroborate using the nano‐impacts method. It is shown that ferrocene nanoparticles of approximately 105 nm diameter are essentially quantitatively oxidatively doped with the uptake of one tetrafluoroborate anion per ferrocene molecule at suitably high overpotentials. By using lower potentials, it is possible to achieve low doping levels of single nanoparticles in a controlled manner.     

Supramolecular Recognition Influences Magnetism in [X@HVIV8VV14O54]6− Self‐Assemblies with Symmetry‐Breaking Guest Anions

Mixed‐valence polyoxovanadates(IV/V) have emerged as one of the most intricate class of supramolecular all‐inorganic host species, able to encapsulate a wide variety of smaller guest templates during their self‐assembly formation process. As showcased herein, the incorporation of guests, though governed solely by ultra‐weak electrostatic and van der Waals interactions, can cause drastic effects on the electronic and magnetic characteristics of the shell complex of the polyoxovanadate. We address the question of methodology for the magnetochemical analysis of virtually isostructural {V^IV/V₂₂O₅₄}‐type polyoxoanions of D_2d symmetry enclosing diamagnetic VO₂F₂^? (C_2v), SCN^? (C_∞v), or ClO₄^? (T_d) template anions. These induce different polarization effects related to differences in their geometric structures, symmetry, ion radii, and valence shells, eventually resulting in a supramolecular modulation of magnetic exchange between the V(3d) electrons that are partly delocalized over the {V₂₂O₅₄} shells. We also include the synthesis and characterization of the novel [V^VO₂F₂@HV^IV₈V^V₁₄O₅₄]^6? system that comprises the rarely encountered discrete difluorovanadate anion as a quasi‐isolated guest species.     

Low band‐gap diketopyrrolopyrrole‐containing polymers for near infrared electrochromic and photovoltaic applications

Donor–acceptor type polymers bearing diketopyrrolopyrrole and 3,4‐ethylenedioxythiophene units are reported. The polymers are green and exhibit very low band‐gaps (1.19 eV) with strong and broad absorption (maxima of about 830 nm) in the near infrared (NIR) region in their neutral film states. The polymers display color changes between dark green and light blue with exceptional optical contrasts in the NIR regions of up to 78 and 63% as thin films and single‐layer electrochromic devices, respectively. Fast switching, good stabilities as well as high coloration efficiencies (743–901 cm² C^?1) were also observed. The polymers could also be potentially used as photovoltaic material, with a power conversion efficiency of up to 1.68%. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015 , 53, 1287–1295     

The Correlation of Electrochemical Measurements and Molecular Junction Conductance Simulations in β‐Strand Peptides

Understanding the electronic properties of single peptides is not only of fundamental importance, but it is also paramount to the realization of peptide‐based molecular electronic components. Electrochemical and theoretical studies are reported on two β‐strand‐based peptides, one with its backbone constrained with a triazole‐containing tether introduced by Huisgen cycloaddition (peptide 1 ) and the other a direct linear analogue (peptide 2 ). Density functional theory (DFT) and non‐equilibrium Green’s function were used to investigate conductance in molecular junctions containing peptides 3 and 4 (analogues of 1 and 2 ). Although the peptides share a common β‐strand conformation, they display vastly different electronic transport properties due to the presence (or absence) of the side‐bridge constraint and the associated effect on backbone rigidity. These studies reveal that the electron transfer rate constants of 1 and 2 , and the conductance calculated for 3 and 4 , differ by approximately one order of magnitude, thus providing two distinctly different conductance states and what is essentially a molecular switch. A definitive correlation of electrochemical measurements and molecular junction conductance simulations is demonstrated using two different charge transfer techniques. This study furthers our understanding of the electronic properties of peptides at the molecular level, which provides an opportunity to fine‐tune their molecular orbital energies through suitable structural manipulation.     

Reduced Graphene‐Wrapped MnO2 Nanowires Self‐Inserted with Co3O4 Nanocages: Remarkable Enhanced Performances for Lithium‐Ion Anode Applications

A simple synthetic approach for graphene‐templated nanostructured MnO₂ nanowires self‐inserted with Co₃O₄ nanocages is proposed in this work. The Co₃O₄ nanocages were penetrated in situ by MnO₂ nanowires. As an anode, the as‐obtained MnO₂–Co₃O₄–RGO composite exhibits remarkable enhanced performance compared with the MnO₂–RGO and Co₃O₄–RGO samples. The MnO₂–Co₃O₄–RGO electrode delivers a reversible capacity of up to 577.4 mA h g^?1 after 400 cycles at 500 mA g^?1 and the Coulombic efficiency of MnO₂–Co₃O₄–RGO is about 96 %.     

m‐Methoxy Substituents in a Tetraphenylethylene‐Based Hole‐Transport Material for Efficient Perovskite Solar Cells

Three tetrapheynlethylene derivatives (N,N‐di(4‐methoxyphenyl)aminophenyl‐substituted tetraphenylethylene; TPE‐4DPA) with different methoxy positions (pp‐, pm‐, and po‐) have been synthesized and characterized. The methoxy groups can control the oxidation potential of the materials, and the electronic properties of the derivatives were affected by the position of the methoxy substituents. These compounds were synthesized in a facile and cost‐effective way, and were applied as hole‐transport materials in perovskite solar cells. The corresponding cell performances were compared with respect to their structure modifications, and it was found that the derivative with m‐OMe substituents showed the highest power conversion efficiency (PCE) of 15.4 %, with a J_sc value of 20.04 mA cm^?2, a V_oc value of 1.07 V, and a fill factor (FF) value of 0.72, which is higher than the p‐OMe and o‐OMe substituents. Moreover, the PCE of pm‐TPE‐4DPA is comparable with that of the state‐of‐the‐art 2,2′,7,7′‐tetrakis(N,N′‐di‐p‐methoxyphenylamine)‐9,9′‐spirobifluorene under identical conditions.