Effects of modifications of the heteroatoms on fine-tuning the photophysical proprieties of A-π-D-π-A small molecules for photovoltaic applications

An effective way to enhance the photovoltaic properties of a small molecule is to modify the side groups into donor units. Herein three news small molecules A-π-D-π-A, denoted Dye1-3, have been designed, from experimentally reported one noted (R), by insertion of various heteroatoms (S, O, Se) on the electron-donating benzodithiophene (Donor (D = BDT)) part. From the calculated results, the dihedral angle between BDT and side-chain affects the distribution of density on the ground state, gap energy, and intramolecular charge transfer of Dyes. In particular, the Dye3 compound, with the smaller dihedral angle, shows that the furan groups in the side chain of D, participates in the distribution of density on the ground state and consequently the charge transfer is improved. Additionally, Dye3 has the lower reorganization energy revealing that this material exhibits better charge mobility. Using the Scharber diagram, Dye3-PCBM heterojunction shows a power conversion efficiency of around 7%. Overall, this work suggests that the photovoltaic properties can be affected by the modification of heteroatoms on side groups of donor parts in small molecules.     

Microwave-Accelerated Ruthenium-Catalyzed [2π + 2π] Cycloadditions of Dimethylacetylene Dicarboxylate with Norbornenes

An efficient and convenient procedure has been developed for the ruthenium-catalyzed [2π + 2π] cycloadditions of dimethylacetylene dicarboxylate with norbornenes. Reaction is significantly accelerated in microwave conditions, while the commonly used benzene solvent was replaced by environmentally benign tetrahydrofuran.

Nonlinear Optical Properties of D-π-A-π-D Type Oligomers with Different Conjugation Length

The conjugation length-dependent nonlinear optical properties of fluorenone-based linear conjugated oligomers have been investigated by experimental and theoretical methods. In-frared spectra and the steady-state absorption spectra show that the increase of conjugated unit could enhance the stretching vibration peaks of C=C and lead to a red-shift of the absorption peaks. Meanwhile, the two-photon fluorescence (TPF) intensity is gradually en-hanced with the increase of excitation energy, and the TPF effciency is obviously higher after the introduction of fluorene-ethylene units. The sum-over-states approach was used to model the two-photon absorption (TPA) cross-sections of oligomers, and the theoretical values agree well with the experimental data obtained from the femtosecond open-aperture z-scan technique. The results exhibit that the extension of conjugated system indeed plays a role in the improvement of TPA behavior of oligomers.     

π-Arene clusters of cobalt and ruthenium on the base of biphenyl

For the first time monocluster -arene derivatives of biphenyl Ph₂Co₄(CO)₉ and Ph₂Ru₆C(CO)₁₄, the shared mononuclear monocluster complex Ph₂Cr(CO)₃Co₄(CO)₉, and the bicluster derivative of cobalt Ph₂[Co₄(CO)₉]₂ have been synthesized. IR and H¹ NMR spectra of the compounds have been studied.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 11, pp. 1978–1980, November, 1993.     

Structure-dependent reversible mechanochromism of D-π-A triphenylamine derivatives

Three simple non-planar D-π-A TPA-based isomers (TPA-o, TPA-m, and TPA-p) were designed and synthesized via Suzuki reaction with higher yields. It was found that all of the three compounds had intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) properties resulting from electron donation from triphenylamine to the formyl moiety. Interestingly, TPA-based derivatives solids exhibited not only reversible mechanochromic behaviors, but structure-dependent emission properties. The solid emission studies illustrated that their fluorescence color could change reversibly between bright blue (455?nm), blue (445?nm), cyan (479?nm), and bright blue-green (497?nm), bright blue (460?nm), yellowish-green (511?nm) through grinding and dichloromethane (DCM) fuming treatment, giving the large spectral red-shifts of 42, 15, and 32?nm, respectively. The MFC activities of the three compounds are increased with the sequence of TPA-o (42?nm)?>?TPA-p (32?nm)?>?TPA-m (15?nm). The single crystal structure, powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and DSC studies indicated that the reversible phase change from crystalline to amorphous was responsible for MFC properties. This work demonstrated the feasibility of tuning the solid-state optical properties of fluorescent organic compounds by combining the simple alteration of chemical structure and the physical change of aggregate morphology under external stimuli. And these results will be of great help in understanding structure-property relationships of MFC mechanisms and designing new more MFC materials.     

Mechanofluorochromism of heteropolycyclic donor-π-acceptor type fluorescent dyes

This paper reports that mechanofluorochromism is found for a series of benzofuro[2,3-c]oxazolo[4,5-a]carbazole-type fluorophores (1a-5a) with different p-substituted phenyl groups as acceptor and dibutylamino groups as donor. Grinding of as-recrystallized dyes 1a-3a with strong electron-accepting group induces a fluorescent color change with an enhanced quantum yield and the fluorescent color is recovered by heating or exposure to solvent vapor. On the basis of experimental results and semi-empirical molecular orbital calculations (AM1 and INDO/S), we clarified that the mechanofluorochromism is attributed to a reversible switching between crystalline and amorphous states with changes of dipole-dipole interaction and intermolecular π-π interaction by changes of the densities of the solids before and after grinding.     

π-Conjugated Unit-Dependent Optical Properties of Linear Conjugated Oligomers

The optical properties of three linear conjugated oligomers （F-P, F-P-F, and P-F-P-F-P）, where phenothiazine （P） and fluorene （F） groups arrange alternately, are investigated. With the enhancement of the π-conjugated system, their absorption and emission bands both gradually red shift, and their two-photon properties are also improved. Meanwhile, their fluorescence dynamic traces are analyzed with continuous rate distribution model, exhibiting that their decay rates gradually accelerate and the rate distribution width become narrower. The quantum chemical calculation offers their molecular structures and transition mechanism, showing that the enhancement of π-conjugated system should be responsible for tile improvement of two-photon properties.     

Nature of anion-templated π(+)-π(+) interactions

Interaction between positively charged aromatic groups (π(+)-π(+)) is characterized by anti-parallel, displaced-stacked structures in the presence of counteranions. Binding energies of pyridinium, N-methylpyridinium and N-methylimidazolium dimers are much larger than that of benzene-pyridine (π-π) and pyridinium-benzene (π(+)-π). Stabilization is attributed to attractive electrostatic interaction with significant dispersion contribution.     

Catalytic reactions of bis-π-allylpalladium generated from allyltrifluoroborate

Bis-π-allylpalladium-catalyzed nucleophilic allylations to aldehydes 2 and imines 3 have been achieved by replacing allylstannanes with allyltrifluoroborate. Amphiphilic bisallylation of activated olefins 6 with allyltrifluoroborate and allyl acetate also proceeded smoothly in the presence of Pd₂(dba)₃·CHCl₃ and tricyclohexylphosphine catalysts.     

π-Relaxation of the ring strain: design of polycyclic unsaturated silicon molecules

Introduction of a double bond into cyclic silanes lowers the ring strain by the cyclic delocalization of π-electrons through the hyperconjugation with the σ bonds, which is favored by the high π-orbital energy of the SiSi bond and the low σ*-orbital energy of the Si-H bonds. The π-relaxation of strains significantly occurs in the small rings. Unsaturated small silicon ring molecules are less strained than the saturated ones and the unsaturated carbon congeners. We calculated a series of polycyclic silicon molecules to confirm the π-relaxation and suggested that some unknown molecules could be prepared due to the low strain.     

π* ← n electronic absorption spectrum of 2,6-dichloropyrazine

The π* ← n electronic absorption system of 2,6-dichloropyrazine, corresponding to the ¹B_3u ← ¹A_1g transition of pyrazine, has been recorded in the vapour phase and in solution in cyclohexane. A vibrational analysis of this system has been proposed and it is shown that vibronic interaction between two excited states of 2,6-dichloropyrazine exists. Another system is observed in the solution spectrum of this molecule in cyclohexane and it is shown to be a π* ← π transition analogous to the ¹B_2u ← ¹A_1g transition in pyrazine.     

Recent advances of Pd-π-allyl zwitterions in cycloaddition reactions

Palladium-catalyzed cycloaddition reactions via Pd-π-allyl zwitterions have been established as significant synthetic transformations to enable numerous carbon- or heterocycles compounds that are key constituents of various biologically active natural products and pharmaceuticals. In addition to the well-known Pd-π-allyl zwitterions, including palladium-trimethylenemethane and Pd-1,3/1,4-zwitterions, chemists have recently discovered new applications of several long ago reported but less-studied Pd-π-allyl zwitterions, which can straightforwardly and efficiently construct novel cyclic architectures. Meanwhile, some impressive newly designed zwitterions have been also developed. Those zwitterions are diverse and can serve as transient and highly reactive intermediates for the subsequent cyclization with various acceptors. In this review, we highlight recent advances in applications of these two types of zwitterions in the synthesis of complex polycyclics and medium-sized cyclic compounds.     

[6π+4π] Cycloadditions of 5-azoniafulvene ions with nitrones and azomethine imines.

Nitrones as well as azomethine imines generated by the prototropic route from hydrazones are shown to add readily to the title iminium ions to give pyrrolo-annellated oxadiazine and triazine derivatives.     

Organoboron compounds: XXIX. A comparison of pπ-pπ, bonding in alkoxy and alkylthiopiperidinophenylboranes

The results of a VT ¹³C NMR study of alkoxy and alkylthio derivatives of 2- and 3-methylpiperidinophenylboranes demonstrate that the p_π-p_π bonding between boron and oxygen is some 3 kcal mol⁻¹ stronger than that between sulphur and boron.     

Exohedral η5-π-complexes of fullerene C20

The problem of stabilization of polyhedral carbon clusters, which do not obey the isolated pentagon rule, is discussed taking a dodecahedral fullerene C₂₀ as an example. Ab initio MO LCAO calculations in the HF/3-21G approximation showed that fullerene C₂₀ as well as its C₂₀H₅ hydrides with C _5v symmetry can form stable 2⁵--complexes of the CpFeC₂₀FeCp and H₅C₂₀FeC₂₀H₅ types. The energies of the ⁵-Fe--C₂₀ -bonds in these complexes were compared with those of the Fe--Cp bond in ferrocene and the Fe--C₆₀ bond in the ⁵--C₆₀H₅FeCp complex.     

Rhodium phosphine-π-arene intermediates in the hydroamination of alkenes

A detailed mechanistic study of the intramolecular hydroamination of alkenes with amines catalyzed by rhodium complexes of a biaryldialkylphosphine is reported. The active catalyst is shown to contain the phosphine ligand bound in a κ(1), η(6) form in which the arene is π-bound to rhodium. Addition of deuterated amine to an internal olefin showed that the reaction occurs by trans addition of the N-H bond across the C═C bond, and this stereochemistry implies that the reaction occurs by nucleophilic attack of the amine on a coordinated alkene. Indeed, the cationic rhodium fragment binds the alkene over the secondary amine, and the olefin complex was shown to be the catalyst resting state. The reaction was zero-order in substrate, when the concentration of olefin was high, and a primary isotope effect was observed. The primary isotope effect, in combination with the observation of the alkene complex as the resting state, implies that nucleophilic attack of the amine on the alkene is reversible and is followed by turnover-limiting protonation. This mechanism constitutes an unusual pathway for rhodium-catalyzed additions to alkenes and is more closely related to the mechanism for palladium-catalyzed addition of amide N-H bonds to alkenes.     

Double-tandem [4π+2π]·[2π+2π]·[4π+2π]·[2π+2π] synthetic sequence with photoprotolytic oxametathesis and photoepoxidation in the chromone series

Chromones are introduced into a double-tandem [4(π)+2(π)]·[2(π)+2(π)]·[4(π)+2(π)]·[2(π)+2(π)] synthetic sequence, culminating in photoprotolytic oxametathesis, which leads to an expeditious growth of molecular complexity over a few experimentally simple steps. The overall reaction can potentially be utilized in diversity-oriented synthesis, as it allows for three or more diversity inputs furnishing novel unique polycyclic scaffolds decorated with a variety of functionalities and aromatic/heterocyclic pendants. The polycyclic alkenes, resulting from the oxametathesis step, were found to undergo efficient and clean photoinduced epoxidation when irradiated in the presence of molecular oxygen.     

Synthesis of pyrroles through a 4π-electrocyclic ring-closure reaction of 1-azapentadienyl cations

1-Azapenta-1,4-diene-3-ols 4a-m are easily accessible from 1-azapenta-1,4-dien-3-ones 3a-i and organolithium compounds. Treatment of the compounds 4a-m with strong acid (triflic acid) generates 1-azapentadienyl cations in situ upon protonation at the hydroxyl oxygen atom and subsequent water elimination. The intermediate cations undergo facile 4π-electrocyclization under ambient condition to give diversely substituted pyrroles 6a-m in moderate to good yield. The product pyrrole 6k could be characterized by X-ray diffraction. Quantum chemical calculations were performed to elucidate the mechanism of this reaction with respect to starting compounds, transition states, and products. They support the proposed mechanism of a 4π-conrotatory M?bius-type electrocyclic ring-closure reaction.