Dinuclear platinum(II) 4,6-diphenyl-2,2'-bipyridine complexes tethered by a rigid bridging ligand: synthesis and photophysics in solution and in LB film

Two dinuclear platinum(II) 4,6-diphenyl-2,2'-bipyridine (C^N^N) complexes (1 and 2) with a rigid bridging ligand cis-1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethylene were synthesized and their photophysical properties were systematically investigated in solution for 1 and 2 and in LB film for 2. Similar to their corresponding mononuclear complexes, both complexes exhibit intense (1)π,π* absorption in the UV region and a broad, moderate absorption band in the visible region, which likely stems from the mixed (1)MLCT (metal-to-ligand charge transfer), (1)ILCT (intraligand charge transfer) and (1)π,π* transitions. Both complexes are emissive in solutions at room temperature and in glassy matrix at 77 K. The emitting state is tentatively assigned as (3)MLCT for 1 and (3)MLCT/(3)ILCT/(3)π,π* for 2 at room temperature. At 77 K, the emission observed for 1 is mainly from the emissive ground-state aggregates, which is concentration dependent; while in 2 the emission from the monomer dominates. Unlike the dinuclear platinum complex with flexible bridging ligand diphenylphosphinoethane, the electronic absorption and emission energies of 1 and 2 at room temperature are independent of their concentration, indicating a fixed conformation for these two complexes. In addition, the presence of alkoxyl substituents on the diphenylbipyridine ligands causes a bathochromic shift of the lowest-energy absorption band and the emission band at room temperature for 2, presumably due to the involvement of the ILCT character into the lowest excited states. The presence of alkoxyl substituents in 2 also makes 2 amphiphilic, allowing for the fabrication of LB films of 2. The electronic absorption and emission characteristics in the LB films of 2 are quite similar to those in solutions, indicating no intermolecular Pt-Pt interactions occur in the LB films. The dinuclear complex without alkoxyl substituent (1) exhibits vapochromic behavior to heteroatom-containing volatile organic compounds (VOC's).