Synthesis of Nonsymmetrically N,N′‐Diaryl‐Substituted 4,4′‐Bipyridinium Salts with Redox‐Tunable and Titanium Dioxide (TiO2)‐Anchoring Properties

A general method for the synthesis of so far unknown nonsymmetrically substituted N‐aryl‐N′‐aryl′‐4,4′‐bipyridinium salts is presented (Scheme 1). The common intermediate in all procedures is N‐(2,4‐dinitrophenyl)‐4,4′‐bipyridinium hexafluorophosphate ( 1 ⋅ ). For the synthesis of nonsymmetric arylviologens, 1 ⋅ was arenamine‐exchanged by the Zincke reaction, and then activated at the second bipyridine N‐atom with 2,4‐dinitrophenyl 4‐methylbenzenesulfonate. The detailed preparation of the six N‐aryl‐N′‐aryl′‐viologens 21 – 26 is discussed (Scheme 2). The generality of the procedure is further exemplified by the synthesis of two nonsymmetrically substituted N‐aryl‐N′‐benzyl‐ (see 11 and 12 ), and seven N‐aryl‐N′‐alkyl‐4,4′‐bipyridinium salts (see 28 – 34 ) including substituents with metal oxide anchoring and redox tuning properties. The need for these compounds and their usage as electrochromic materials, in dendrimer synthesis, in molecular electronics, and in tunable‐redox mediators is briefly discussed. The latter adjustable property is demonstrated by the reduction potential measured by cyclic voltammetry on selected compounds (Table).