Synthesis,Electronic Properties,and Reactivity of Phospholes and 1,1′‐Biphospholes Bearing 2‐ or 3‐Thienyl C‐Substituents

PS, I love you! Novel mixed phosphole/thiophene π‐conjugated systems were synthesized and their electronic properties have been studied both experimentally by UV/Vis spectroscopy and electrochemistry and by theoretical calculations. Exploiting the chemistry of both P‐ and S‐heteroles allows the generation of a diverse range of novel ring‐fused benzophosphole–thiophene derivatives.

     

Nonsymmetrical Dithienylethenes Bearing Dithieno[3,2‐b:2′,3′‐d]thiophene Units with Photochromic Performance in the Crystalline Phase

Four novel nonsymmetrical photochromic diarylethene compounds containing dithieno[3,2‐b:2′,3′‐d]thiophene units were designed and synthesized to investigate their photochromic properties. All these molecules adopt a photoactive antiparallel conformation in single crystals, as revealed by X‐ray crystallographic analysis, and exhibit excellent photochromism in solution as well as in the crystalline phase.     

Understanding the Fundamental Role of π/π, σ/σ, and σ/π Dispersion Interactions in Shaping Carbon‐Based Materials

Noncovalent interactions involving aromatic rings, such as π‐stacking and CH/π interactions, are central to many areas of modern chemistry. However, recent studies proved that aromaticity is not required for stacking interactions, since similar interaction energies were computed for several aromatic and aliphatic dimers. Herein, the nature and origin of π/π, σ/σ, and σ/π dispersion interactions has been investigated by using dispersion‐corrected density functional theory, energy decomposition analysis, and the recently developed noncovalent interaction (NCI) method. Our analysis shows that π/π and σ/σ stacking interactions are equally important for the benzene and cyclohexane dimers, explaining why both compounds have similar boiling points. Also, similar dispersion forces are found in the benzene???methane and cyclohexane???methane complexes. However, for systems larger than naphthalene, there are enhanced stacking interactions in the aromatic dimers adopting a parallel‐displaced configuration compared to the analogous saturated systems. Although dispersion plays a decisive role in stabilizing all the complexes, the origin of the π/π, σ/σ, and σ/π interactions is different. The NCI method reveals that the dispersion interactions between the hydrogen atoms are responsible for the surprisingly strong aliphatic interactions. Moreover, whereas σ/σ and σ/π interactions are local, the π/π stacking are inherently delocalized, which give rise to a non‐additive effect. These new types of dispersion interactions between saturated groups can be exploited in the rational design of novel carbon materials.     

α,α′‐Diarylacenaphtho[1,2‐c]phosphole P‐Oxides: Divergent Synthesis and Application to Cathode Buffer Layers in Organic Photovoltaics

A divergent method for the synthesis of α,α′‐diarylacenaphtho[1,2‐c]phosphole P‐oxides has been established; α,α′‐dibromoacenaphtho[c]phosphole P‐oxide, which was prepared through a Ti^II‐mediated cyclization of 1,8‐bis(trimethylsilylethynyl)naphthalene, underwent a Stille coupling with three different kinds of aryltributylstannanes to afford the α,α′‐diarylacenaphtho[c]phosphole P‐oxides in moderate to good yields. X‐ray crystallographic analyses and UV/Vis absorption/fluorescence measurements have revealed that the degree of π‐conjugation, the packing motif, the electron‐accepting ability, and the thermal stability of the acenaphtho[c]phosphole π‐systems are finely tunable with the α‐aryl substituents. All the P?O and P?S derivatives exhibited high stability in their electrochemically reduced state. To use this class of arene‐fused phosphole π‐systems as n‐type semiconducting materials, we evaluated device performances of the bulk heterojunction organic photovoltaics (OPV) that consist of poly(3‐hexylthiophene), an indene‐C₇₀ bisadduct, and a cathode buffer layer. The insertion of the diarylacenaphtho[c]phosphole P‐oxides as the buffer layer was found to improve the power conversion efficiency of the polymer‐based OPV devices.     

Dendrimeric Oligo(phenylenevinylene)‐Extended Dithieno[3,2‐b:2′,3′‐d]phospholes—Synthesis,Self‐Organization,and Optical Properties

A boost from the branches : Incorporation of the dithieno[3,2‐b:2′,3′‐d]phosphole system as a core in oligo(phenylenevinylene) dendrimers (an example is shown here) provides materials that exhibit energy‐transfer features relaying incoming photons from the dendrons towards the core, which in turn shows enhanced emission intensity. The optical properties and self‐assembly features of the dendrimers can be impacted by the terminal groups (‐H, ‐CF₃, or ‐NPh₂) employed.

     

Electron Attachment to Hydrated Oligonucleotide Dimers: Guanylyl‐3′,5′‐Cytidine and Cytidylyl‐3′,5′‐Guanosine

The dinucleoside phosphate deoxycytidylyl‐3′,5′‐deoxyguanosine (dCpdG) and deoxyguanylyl‐3′,5′‐deoxycytidine (dGpdC) systems are among the largest to be studied by reliable theoretical methods. Exploring electron attachment to these subunits of DNA single strands provides significant progress toward definitive predictions of the electron affinities of DNA single strands. The adiabatic electron affinities of the oligonucleotides are found to be sequence dependent. Deoxycytidine (dC) on the 5′ end, dCpdG, has larger adiabatic electron affinity (AEA, 0.90 eV) than dC on the 3′ end of the oligomer (dGpdC, 0.66 eV). The geometric features, molecular orbital analyses, and charge distribution studies for the radical anions of the cytidine‐containing oligonucleotides demonstrate that the excess electron in these anionic systems is dominantly located on the cytosine nucleobase moiety. The π‐stacking interaction between nucleobases G and C seems unlikely to improve the electron‐capturing ability of the oligonucleotide dimers. The influence of the neighboring base on the electron‐capturing ability of cytosine should be attributed to the intensified proton accepting–donating interaction between the bases. The present investigation demonstrates that the vertical detachment energies (VDEs) of the radical anions of the oligonucleotides dGpdC and dCpdG are significantly larger than those of the corresponding nucleotides. Consequently, reactions with low activation barriers, such as those for O? C σ bond and N‐glycosidic bond breakage, might be expected for the radical anions of the guanosine–cytosine mixed oligonucleotides.     

Tuning the Photophysical Properties of BODIPY Molecules by π‐Conjugation with Fischer Carbene Complexes

The synthesis, structure, and photophysical properties of novel BODIPY–Fischer alkoxy‐, thio‐, and aminocarbene dyads are reported. The BODIPY chromophore is directly attached to the carbene ligand by an ethylenic spacer, thus forming donor–bridge–acceptor π‐extended systems. The extension of the π‐conjugation is decisive in the equilibrium geometries of the dyads and is clearly reflected in the corresponding absorption and emission spectra. Whereas the BODIPY fragment is mainly isolated in aminocarbene complexes, it is fully conjugated in alkoxycarbene derivatives. The former thus exhibit the characteristic photophysical properties of BODIPY units, whereas complete suppression of the BODIPY fluorescence emission is observed in the latter, as a direct consequence of the strong electron‐accepting character of the (CO)₅M?C moiety. As the π‐acceptor character of the metal–carbene group can be modified, the electronic properties of the conjugated BODIPY can be tuned. Density functional calculations have been carried out to gain insight into the photophysical properties.     

A Convenient Method for the Synthesis of α‐Ethynylphospholes and Modulation of Their π‐Conjugated Systems

Mind the (narrow) gap : α‐Ethynylphospholes generated in situ from the corresponding silyl‐capped precursors were converted into a series of α‐(arylethynyl) phospholes bearing functional substituents as well as an α,α′‐linked terphosphole (see scheme). The terphosphole has a narrow HOMO–LUMO gap owing to efficient π conjugation over the three phosphole rings.

     

Interplay of α,α‐ versus α,β‐Conjugation in the Excited States and Charged Defects of Branched Oligothiophenes as Models for Dendrimeric Materials

This article investigates the excited and charged states of three branched oligothiophenes with methyl–thienyl side groups as models to promote 3D arrangements. A comparison with the properties of the parent systems, linear all‐α,α‐oligothiophenes, is proposed. A wide variety of spectroscopic methods (i.e., absorption, emission, triplet–triplet transient absorption, and spectroelectrochemistry) in combination with DFT calculations have been used for this purpose. Whereas the absorption spectra are slightly blueshifted upon branching, both the emission spectra and triplet–triplet absorption spectra are moderately redshifted; this indicates a larger contribution of the β‐linked thienyl groups in the delocalization of the S₁ and T₁ states rather than into the S₀ state. The delocalization through the α,β‐conjugated path was found to be crucial for the stabilization of the trication species in the larger branched systems, whereas the linear sexithiophene homologue can only be stabilized up to the dication species.     

Static and Dynamic Properties of 1,1′‐Bi‐2‐naphthol and Its Conjugated Acids and Bases

Several convergent techniques were used to characterize 1,1′‐bi‐2‐naphthol (BINOL) and some of its properties. Its acidity in the gas‐phase, from neutral species to monoanion, was measured by mass spectrometry. The conformation and structure of BINOL in the gas phase was determined by microwave rotational spectroscopy. NMR experiments in fluorosulfonic acid established that BINOL was monoprotonated on one of the hydroxyl oxygen atoms. The enantiomerization barriers reported in the literature for BINOL under neutral, basic, and acid conditions were analyzed with regard to the species involved. Finally, DFT calculations allowed all of these results to be gathered in a coherent picture of the BINOL structure.     

Through‐Space Conjugated Molecular Wire Comprising Three π‐Electron Systems

A [2.2]paracyclophane‐based through‐space conjugated oligomer comprising three π‐electron systems was designed and synthesized. The arrangement of three π‐conjugated systems in an appropriate order according to the energy band gap resulted in efficient unidirectional photoexcited energy transfer by the Förster mechanism. The energy transfer efficiency and rate constants were estimated to be >0.999 and >10¹² s^?1, respectively. The key point for the efficient energy transfer is the orientation of the transition dipole moments. The time‐dependent density functional theory (TD‐DFT) studies revealed the transition dipole moments of each stacked π‐electron system; each dipole moment was located on the long axis of each stacked π‐electron system. This alignment of the dipole moments is favorable for fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET).     

Strongly Absorbing π–π* States in Heteroleptic Dipyrrin/2,2′‐Bipyridine Ruthenium Complexes: Excited‐State Dynamics from Resonance Raman Spectroscopy

A recently reported new class of ruthenium complexes containing 2,2′‐bipyridine and a dipyrrin ligand in the coordination sphere exhibit both strong metal‐to‐ligand charge‐transfer (MLCT) and π–π* transitions. Quantitative analysis of the resonance Raman scattering intensities and absorption spectra reveals only weak electronic interactions between these states despite direct coordination of the bipyridyl and dipyrrin ligands to the central ruthenium atom. On the basis of DFT calculations and time‐dependent DFT (TD‐DFT), we propose that the electronic excited states closely resemble “pure” MLCT and π–π* states. Resonance Raman intensity analysis demonstrates that a large amplitude transannular torsional motion provides a mechanism for relaxation on the π–π* excited‐state surface. We assert that this result is generally applicable to a range of dipyrrin complexes such as boron–dipyrrin and metallodipyrrin systems. Despite the large torsional distortion between the phenyl ring and the dipyrromethene plane, π–π* excitation extends out onto the phenyl ring which may have important consequences in solar‐energy‐conversion applications of ruthenium–dipyrrin complexes.     

Comprehensive Analysis of Fragment Orbital Interactions to Build Highly π‐Conjugated Thienylene‐Substituted Phenylene Oligomers

π‐Conjugated thienylene? phenylene oligomers with fluorinated and dialkoxylated phenylene fragments have been designed and prepared to understand the interactions in fragment orbitals, the influence of the substituents (F, OMe) on the HOMO–LUMO gap, and the role of intramolecular non‐covalent cumulative interactions in the construction of π‐conjugated nanostructures. Their strong conjugation was also evidenced in the gas phase by UV photoelectron spectroscopy and theoretical calculations. These results can be explained by the crucial role of the relative energetic positions of the π orbitals of the dimethoxyphenylene, which was used to model the dialkoxyphenylene entity, in determining the π/π^* orbital levels of the fluorinated phenylene entity. Dialkoxyphenylenes raise the HOMO orbitals, whereas fluorinated phenylenes lower the LUMO orbitals in the oligomers. In addition, the presence of S???F and H???F interactions in the fluorinated phenylene? thienylene compounds add to the S???O interactions in the mixed targets and contribute to the full conjugation in the oligomer, inducing weak inter‐ring angles between the involved aromatic cycles. These results, which showed extended conjugation of the π system, were corroborated by a narrow HOMO–LUMO gap (according to DFT calculations) and by a relatively strong maximum wavelength (as obtained by TD‐DFT calculations and experimental UV/Vis measurements). The crystallographic data of two mixed thienylene? (fluorinated and dialkoxylated phenylene) five‐ring oligomers agree with the above results and show the formation of quasi‐planar conformations with non‐covalent S???O, H???F, and S???F interactions. These studies in the solid and gas phases show the relevance of associating dialkoxyphenylene and fluorinated phenylene fragments with thiophene to lead to oligomers with improved electronic delocalization for electronic or optoelectronic devices.