Acid/Base‐Triggered Switching of Circularly Polarized Luminescence and Electronic Circular Dichroism in Organic and Organometallic Helicenes

Electronic circular dichroism and circularly polarized luminescence acid/base switching activity has been demonstrated in helicene‐bipyridine proligand 1 a and in its “rollover” cycloplatinated derivative 2 a . Whereas proligand 1 a displays a strong bathochromic shift (>160 nm) of the nonpolarized and circularly polarized luminescence upon protonation, complex 2 a displays slightly stronger emission. This strikingly different behavior between singlet emission in the organic helicene and triplet emission in the organometallic derivative has been rationalized by using quantum‐chemical calculations. The very large bathochromic shift of the emission observed upon protonation of azahelicene‐bipyridine 1 a has been attributed to the decrease in aromaticity (promoting a charge‐transfer‐type transition rather than a π–π* transition) as well as an increase in the HOMO–LUMO character of the transition and stabilization of the LUMO level upon protonation.     

Phenyl‐(2‐pyridyl)‐(3‐pyridyl)‐(4‐pyridyl)methane: Synthesis,Chiroptical Properties,and Theoretical Calculation of Its Absolute Configuration

The title compound, a prototypical chiral molecule based on a tetraarylmethane framework, has been synthesized in five steps from (2‐pyridyl)‐(3‐pyridyl)ketone. X‐ray crystallographic analysis revealed the tetraarylmethane framework of the molecule but did not determine the positions of the nitrogen atoms because the crystal is a racemic compound and the aryl groups are disordered in the crystal. The optical resolution of the title compound was achieved by chiral HPLC with a Chiralcel OD column. The CD spectra of the two fractions in acetonitrile exhibited opposite signs as expected for a pair of enantiomers. Their CD spectra are changed in 2 M HCl due to protonation. The calculated CD curve for the target molecule based on time‐dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) reproduces the experimental result very well, thus suggesting that the first eluted fraction is the R isomer in terms of absolute configuration.     

Thioflavin T: Electronic Circular Dichroism and Circularly Polarized Luminescence Induced by Amyloid Fibrils

The circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) spectrum of thioflavin T (ThT) bound to insulin amyloid fibrils has been measured for the first time. It has been found that the samples exhibiting induced circular dichroism (CD) retain the optical activity in the CPL spectra, with the same sign of the rotatory strength. The fluorescence dissymmetry factor is substantial (of the order of magnitude 10^?2). Unlike in the corresponding CD and absorption spectra, there is no shift of the CPL band with respect to the fluorescence band. It has been verified that the measured CPL spectra are free from artifacts from circularly polarized scattering of emitted light by conducting additional measurements in a medium with a refractive index similar to insulin (methylsalicylate). The CD and CPL spectra have been interpreted by means of density functional calculations carried out for ThT in its ground and first excited states in different dielectric environments and for ThT interacting with an aromatic ring. It has been found that the presence of an aromatic ring close to the ThT molecule induces Cotton effects of the same order of magnitude as the stabilization of one enantiomeric conformer. Thus, it is expected that both mechanisms contribute to the induced CD and CPL effect to a similar degree.     

Xanthones and Oxepino[2, 3‐b]chromones from Three Endophytic Fungi

Three new metabolites, microsphaeropsones A–C ( 1 – 3 ) with a unique oxepino[2,3‐b]chromen‐6‐one (ring‐enlarged xanthone) skeleton, were isolated from the endophytic fungus Microsphaeropsis species, co‐occurring with their putative biogenetic anthraquinoide precursors citreorosein ( 4 ) and emodin ( 5 ). From another Microsphaeropsis species, large amounts of fusidienol A ( 8 a ), smaller amounts of emodin ( 5 ), the known aromatic xanthones 9 a and 9 b , the new 3,4‐dihydrofusidienol A ( 8 b ), and the new aromatic xanthone 9 c were isolated. The endophyte Seimatosporium species produced a new aromatic xanthone, seimatoxanthone A ( 10 ), and 3,4‐dihydroglobosuxanthone A ( 12 ), closely related to α‐diversolonic ester ( 13 ) from Microdiplodia sp.. The structures were determined mainly by extensive 1D and 2D NMR experiments and supported by X‐ray single‐crystal analysis of 1 and the oxidation product 7 . The absolute configurations of the microsphaeropsones A–C ( 1 – 3 ) were established by comparison of the electronic and vibrational circular dichroism (ECD and VCD) spectra of 1 with time‐dependent DFT (TDDFT) and DFT calculations by using either the solid‐state structures or DFT‐optimized geometries as inputs. Preliminary studies indicated that 1 , 2 , and enone 7 showed antibacterial, fungicidal, and algicidal properties.     

Luminescence,Stability, and Proton Response of an Open‐Shell (3,5‐Dichloro‐4‐pyridyl)bis(2,4,6‐trichlorophenyl)methyl Radical

A luminescent open‐shell organic radical with high chemical stability was synthesized. (3,5‐Dichloro‐4‐pyridyl)bis(2,4,6‐trichlorophenyl)methyl radical (PyBTM) was photoluminescent under various conditions. Fluorescence quantum yields of 0.03, 0.26, and 0.81 (the highest value reported for a stable organic radical) were obtained in chloroform, in poly(methyl methacrylate) film at room temperature, and in an EPA matrix (diethyl ether:isopentane:ethanol) at 77 K, respectively. The photostability of PyBTM is up to 115 times higher than that of the tris(2,4,6‐trichlorophenyl)methyl radical, a previously reported luminescent radical. The pyridine moiety of PyBTM acts as a proton coordination site, thereby allowing for control of the electronic and optical properties of the radical by protonation and deprotonation.     

Control of Circularly Polarized Luminescence by Using Open‐ and Closed‐Type Binaphthyl Derivatives with the Same Axial Chirality

The solution‐dispersed‐state and polymer‐dispersed‐state circular dichroism (CD) and circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) properties of chiral binaphthyl fluorophores could be controlled by the choice of open‐ or closed‐type substituents on the binaphthyl units and by the axial chirality of the binaphthyls.     

Oxidation of an Internal-Edge-Substituted [5]Helicene-Derived Phosphine Synchronously Enhances Circularly Polarized Luminescence

Small chiral organic molecules with CD properties are in high demanded due to their potential use in promising electronic and biological applications. Herein, we reveal a system in which the oxidation of a phosphino group to the corresponding phosphine oxide on the inner rim of a helicene derivative induces a CPL response. Laterally π-extended 7,8-dihydro[5]helicenes bearing phosphine and phosphine oxide groups on their inner helical rims (i. e., the C1 position) were synthesized, and their helical structures were unambiguously determined by X-ray crystallography. The photophysical (UV/visible and emission) and chiroptical properties of these compounds were investigated in various solvents. Despite their structural similarities, phosphine oxide showed a significantly better CPL response than phosphine, with a high dissymmetry factor for emission (|g_lum|=(1.3–1.9)×10⁻³) that can be attributed to structural changes in the interior of the helicene helix.     

Circularly Polarized Luminescence of Chiral Perylene Diimide Based Enantiomers Triggered by Supramolecular Self‐Assembly

Two perylene diimide (PDI) enantiomers ( d/l ‐PDI ) incorporating the d /l ‐alanine moiety have been designed and synthesized. d/l ‐PDI in chloroform displays bright‐yellow fluorescence that is redshifted to orange‐red when the solvent contains a methanol fraction of 99 vol %. No circular dichroism (CD) or circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) signals were observed for d/l ‐PDI enantiomers in CHCl₃. Interestingly, the d/l ‐PDI enantiomers exhibit clear mirror‐image Cotton effects and CPL emission in the aggregate state. The optical anisotropy factor (g_lum) is as high as 0.02 at f_m=99 %, which can be attributed to self‐assembly through intermolecular π–π interactions in the aggregate state.     

Matrix Isolation‐Vibrational Circular Dichroism Spectroscopy of 3‐Butyn‐2‐ol and its Binary Aggregates

Vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectroscopy has a unique specificity to chirality and is highly sensitive to the conformational equilibria of chiral molecules. On the other hand, the matrix‐isolation (MI) technique allows substantial control over sample compositions, such as the sample(s)/matrix ratio and the ratio among different samples, and yields spectra with very narrow bandwidths. We combined VCD spectroscopy with the MI technique to record MI‐VCD and MI‐vibrational absorption spectra of 3‐butyn‐2‐ol at different MI temperatures, which allowed us to investigate the conformational distributions of its monomeric and binary species. Good mirror‐imaged MI‐VCD spectra of opposite enantiomers were achieved. The related conformational searches were performed for the monomer and the binary aggregate and their vibrational absorption and VCD spectra were simulated. The well‐resolved experimental MI‐VCD bands provide the essential mean to assign the associated vibrational absorption spectral features correctly to a particular conformation in case of closely spaced bands. By varying the matrix temperature, we show that one can follow the self‐aggregation process of 3‐butyn‐2‐ol and confidently correlate the MI‐VCD spectral features with those obtained for a 0.1 M CCl₄ solution and as a neat liquid at room temperature. Comparison of the aforementioned experimental VCD spectra shows conclusively that there is a substantial contribution from the 3‐butyn‐2‐ol aggregate even at 0.1 M concentration. This spectroscopic combination will be powerful for studying self‐aggregation of chiral molecules, and chirality transfer from a chiral molecule to an interacting achiral molecule and in electron donor–acceptor chiral complexes.     

Circularly Polarized Luminescence from Axially Chiral BODIPY DYEmers: An Experimental and Computational Study

With our new home‐built circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) instrument, we measured fluorescence and CPL spectra of the enantiomeric pairs of two quasi‐isomeric BODIPY DYEmers 1 and 2 , endowed with axial chirality. The electronic circular dichroism (ECD) and CPL spectra of these atropisomeric dimers are dominated by the exciton coupling between the main π–π* transitions (550–560 nm) of the two BODIPY rings. Compound 1 has strong ECD and CPL spectra (g_lum=4×10^?3) well reproduced by TD‐DFT and SCS‐CC2 (spin‐component scaled second‐order approximate coupled‐cluster) calculations using DFT‐optimized ground‐ and excited‐state structures. Compound 2 has weaker ECD and CPL spectra (g_lum=4×10^?4), partly due to the mutual cancellation of electric–electric and electric–magnetic exciton couplings, and partly to its conformational freedom. This compound is computationally very challenging. Starting from the optimized excited‐state geometries, we predicted the wrong sign for the CPL band of 2 using TD‐DFT with the most recommended hybrid and range‐separated functionals, whereas SCS‐CC2 or a DFT functional with full exact exchange provided the correct sign.     

Model studies of the optical rotation,and theoretical determination of its sign for β‐pinene and trans‐pinane

We have carried out extensive studies on the basis set dependence of the calculated specific optical rotation (OR) in molecules at the level of the time–dependent Hartree–Fock and density functional approximations. To reach the limits of the basis set saturation, we have devised an artificial model, the asymmetrically deformed (chiral) methane (CM) molecule. This small system permits to use basis sets which are prohibitively large for real chiral molecules and yet shows all the important features of the basis set dependence of the OR values. The convergence of the OR has been studied with n‐aug‐cc‐pVXZ basis sets of Dunning up to the 6–ζ. In a parallel series of calculations, we have used the recently developed large polarized (LPolX) basis sets. The relatively small LPolX sets have been shown to be competitive to very large n‐aug‐cc‐pVXZ basis sets. The conclusions reached in calculations of OR in CM concerning the usefulness of LPolX basis sets have been further tested on (S)‐methyloxirane and (S)‐fluoro‐oxirane. The smallest set of the LPolX family (LPol–ds) has been found to yield OR values of similar quality as those obtained with much larger Dunning's aug‐cc‐pVQZ basis set. These results have encouraged us to carry out the OR calculations with LPol–ds basis sets for systems as large as β‐pinene and trans‐pinane. In both cases, our calculations have lead to the correct sign of the OR value in these molecules. This makes the relatively small LPol–ds basis sets likely to be useful in OR calculations for large molecules. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2010     

The First Five‐Membered‐Heterocycle‐Fused Subphthalocyanine Analogues: Chiral Tri(benzo[b]thiopheno)subporphyrazines

Two tri(benzo[b]thiopheno)subporphyrazine regioisomers with C₃ and C₁ molecular symmetry have been isolated from the cyclotrimerization of benzo[b]thiophene‐2,3‐dicarbonitrile as the first five‐membered‐heterocycle‐fused subphthalocyanine analogues. Optical resolution of both regioisomers was achieved by using a chiral HPLC technique, affording the first chiral subphthalocyanine analogues.     

Synthesis,Characterization, and Electrochemistry of the Manganese(I) Complexes of meso‐Substituted [14]Tribenzotriphyrins(2.1.1)

Metalation of 6,13,20,21‐tetraaryl‐22H‐[14]tribenzotriphyrins(2.1.1) (TriP, 1 a – d ) with [Mn(CO)₅Br] provided Mn^I tricarbonyl complexes of [14]tribenzotriphyrins(2.1.1) 2 a – d in 85–93 % yield. The complexes were characterized by mass spectrometry and UV/Vis absorption, IR, and NMR spectroscopy. Single‐crystal X‐ray analyses revealed that 2 b and 2 c adopt bowl‐shaped conformations. The redox properties of [(TriP)Mn^I(CO)₃] ( 2 a – d ) were studied by cyclic voltammetry. Each compound undergoes two reversible one‐electron reductions to form a porphyrin π anion radical and a dianion in CH₂Cl₂. Two oxidation waves were observed, the first of which corresponds to a metal‐centered electron‐transfer process. The redox potentials of 2 a – d are consistent with the optical spectroscopic data and the relatively narrow HOMO–LUMO gaps that were predicted in DFT calculations. The optical spectra can be assigned by using Michl’s perimeter model. TDDFT calculations predict the presence of several metal‐to‐ligand charge‐transfer bands in the L‐band region between 500 and 700 nm.     

Yellow Circularly Polarized Luminescence from C1‐Symmetrical Copper(I) Complexes

The synthesis of chiral C₁‐symmetrical copper(I) complexes supported by chiral carbene ligands is described. These complexes are yellow emitters with modest quantum yields. Circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) spectra show a polarized emission band with dissymmetry factors |g_lum|=1.2×10^?3. These complexes are the first reported examples of molecular copper(I) complexes exhibiting circularly polarized luminescence. In contrast with most CPL‐emitting molecules, which possess either helical or axial chirality, the results presented show that simple chiral architectures are suitable for CPL emission and unlock new synthetic possibilities.     

Reversal Circularly Polarized Luminescence of AIE‐Active Chiral Binaphthyl Molecules from Solution to Aggregation

Four aggregation‐induced emission (AIE)‐active chiral binaphthyl‐based molecules, (R/S)‐ 1 and (R/S)‐ 2 , were designed and synthesized. Interestingly, all of them can exhibit reversal circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) signals from solution to aggregation, which could be attributed to the different dihedral angle of binaphthyl units from cis‐conformation in pure THF solution to trans‐conformation in THF/water mixtures.     

Vibrational Circular Dichroism and Theoretical Study of the Conformational Equilibrium in (−)‐S‐Nicotine

We report an extensive study of the molecular and electronic structure of (?)‐S‐nicotine, to deduce the phenomenon that controls its conformational equilibrium and to solve its solution‐state conformer population. Density functional theory, ab initio, and molecular mechanics calculations were used together with vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopies. Calculations and experiments in solution show that the structure and the conformational energy profile of (?)‐S‐nicotine are not strongly dependent on the medium, thus suggesting that the conformational equilibrium is dominated by hyperconjugative interactions rather than repulsive electronic effects. The analysis of the first recorded VCD spectra of (?)‐S‐nicotine confirmed the presence of two main conformers at room temperature. Our results provide further evidence of the hypersensitivity of vibrational optical activity spectroscopies to the three‐dimensional structure of chiral samples and prove their suitability for the elucidation of solution‐state conformer distribution.     

Physicochemical and Electronic Properties of Cationic [6]Helicenes: from Chemical and Electrochemical Stabilities to Far‐Red (Polarized) Luminescence

The physicochemical properties of cationic dioxa ( 1 ), azaoxa ( 2 ), and diaza ( 3 ) [6]helicenes demonstrate a much higher chemical stability of the diaza adduct 3 (pK_R+=20.4, =?0.72 V) compared to its azaoxa 2 (pK_R+=15.2, =?0.45 V) and dioxa 1 (pK_R+=8.8, =?0.12 V) analogues. The fluorescence of these cationic chromophores is established, and ranges from the orange to the far‐red regions. From 1 to 3 , a bathochromic shift of the lowest energy transitions (up to 614 nm in acetonitrile) and an enhancement of the fluorescence quantum yields and lifetimes (up to 31 % and 9.8 ns, respectively, at 658 nm) are observed. The triplet quantum yields and circularly polarized luminescence are also reported. Finally, fine tuning of the optical properties of the diaza [6]helicene core is achieved through selective and orthogonal post‐functionalization reactions (12 examples, compounds 4 – 15 ). The electronic absorption is modulated from the orange to the far‐red spectral range (560–731 nm), and fluorescence is observed from 591 to 755 nm with enhanced quantum efficiency up to 70 % (619 nm). The influence of the peripheral auxochrome substituents is rationalized by first‐principles calculations.