Water‐Soluble Phospholo[3,2‐b]phosphole‐P,P′‐Dioxide‐Based Fluorescent Dyes with High Photostability

We recently reported that fluorescent dye PB430, which consisted of a 2‐phenyl‐substituted benzophosphole P‐oxide skeleton that was reinforced by a methylene bridge, showed pronounced photostability and, thus, high utility for applications in super‐resolution stimulated emission depletion (STED) microscopy. Herein, we replaced the methylene bridge with another P=O group to 1) investigate the role of the bridging moieties; and 2) further modulate the fluorescence properties of this skeleton. We synthesized a series of phospholo[3,2‐b]phosphole‐based dyes—trans‐PO‐PB430, cis‐PO‐PB430, and trans‐PO‐PB460—all of which showed sufficient water solubility. Moreover, trans‐PO‐PB430 and trans‐PO‐PB460 exhibited intense green and orange fluorescence, respectively, and a high photostability that was comparable to that of PB430. In contrast, cis‐PO‐PB430 underwent rapid photobleaching upon continuous photoirradiation, which demonstrated the importance of steric shielding of the polycyclic skeleton by the substituents on the bridging moieties. The fluorescence properties of these dyes were insensitive to concentration, pH value, and polarity changes of the environment in solution. In addition, even in the solid state, these dyes showed strong green to orange emissions. These results demonstrate the potential utility of trans‐PO‐PB430 and trans‐PO‐PB460 as highly photostable fluorescent dyes.     

New 7‐phosphanorbornenes derived from 2‐methyl‐1‐phenyl‐ and 1‐cyclohexyl‐3‐ methyl‐2,5‐dihydro‐1H‐phosphole 1‐oxides

Novel 7‐phosphanorbornene derivatives, such as 4, 5, 10 , and 11 were synthesized utilizing 1‐phenyl‐2‐methyl‐2,5‐dihydro‐1H‐phosphole oxide ( 1 ) and 1‐cyclohexyl‐3‐methyl‐2,5‐dihydro‐1H‐phosphole oxide ( 7 ) as the starting materials. Products 4 and 10 were prepared by trapping the corresponding phosphole oxide intermediates ( 3 and 9 , respectively) by N‐phenylmaleimide, while 5 and 11 were obtained by the dimerization of 3 and 9 , respectively. The trapping reaction was studied in details; on one hand, bromo‐2,3‐dihydro‐1H‐phosphole oxides ( 6‐1 and 6‐2 ) were pointed out as the intermediates, on the other hand, the trapping reaction was optimized. Bri‐ dged P‐heterocycles 4, 5, 10 , and 11 were tested in the fragmentation‐related phosphorylation of methanol. Hydrogenation of phosphanorbornenes 4 and 5 led to the corresponding phosphanorbornanes ( 12 and 14 , respectively) and to a reductive type of retro cycloaddition. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 16:320–326, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/hc.20097     

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.     

Synthesis and Structure–Property Relationships of 2,2′‐Bis(benzo[b]phosphole) and 2,2′‐Benzo[b]phosphole–Benzo[b]heterole Hybrid π Systems

The first comprehensive study of the synthesis and structure–property relationships of 2,2′‐bis(benzo[b]phosphole)s and 2,2′‐benzo[b]phosphole–benzo[b]heterole hybrid π systems is reported. 2‐Bromobenzo[b]phosphole P‐oxide underwent copper‐assisted homocoupling (Ullmann coupling) and palladium‐catalyzed cross‐coupling (Stille coupling) to give new classes of benzo[b]phosphole derivatives. The benzo[b]phosphole–benzo[b]thiophene and ‐indole derivatives were further converted to P,X‐bridged terphenylenes (X=S, N) by a palladium‐catalyzed oxidative cycloaddition reaction with 4‐octyne through the C_β? H activation. X‐ray analyses of three compounds showed that the benzo[b]phosphole‐benzo[b]heterole derivatives have coplanar π planes as a result of the effective conjugation through inter‐ring C? C bonds. The π–π* transition energies and redox potentials of the cis and trans isomers of bis(benzo[b]phosphole) P‐oxide are very close to each other, suggesting that their optical and electrochemical properties are little affected by the relative stereochemistry at the two phosphorus atoms. The optical properties of the benzo[b]phosphole–benzo[b]heterole hybrids are highly dependent on the benzo[b]heterole subunits. Steady‐state UV/Vis absorption/fluorescence spectroscopy, fluorescence lifetime measurements, and theoretical calculations of the non‐fused and acetylene‐fused benzo[b]phosphole–benzo[b]heterole π systems revealed that their emissive excited states consist of two different conformers in rapid equilibrium.     

Benzo[b]phosphole‐Containing π‐Electron Systems: Synthesis Based on an Intramolecular trans‐Halophosphanylation and Some Insights into Their Properties

The intramolecular trans‐halophosphanylation of 2‐(aminophosphanyl)phenylacetylenes mediated by PBr₃ followed by the oxidation with H₂O₂, produces 3‐bromobenzo[b]phosphole oxide derivatives. This cyclization is also used for the synthesis of a 3‐iodo derivative by conducting the reaction in the presence of LiI. Based on this synthetic method, various benzophosphole‐containing π‐conjugated compounds, including a phosphoryl and methylene‐bridged stilbene 10 , 2,3,6,7‐tetraphenylbenzo[1,2‐b:4,5‐b′]diphosphole‐P,P′‐dioxides 11 , and their phosphine sulfide derivatives 12 , are synthesized. The study of the structure–property relationships in a series of the bridged stilbenes, including a bis(methylene)‐bridged stilbene 10 , and a bis(phosphoryl)‐bridged stilbene, reveals that as the contribution of the phosphoryl groups increased, the absorption and emission maxima substantially shift to longer wavelengths. The intrinsic substituent effects of the phosphoryl group in this skeleton are to decrease the oscillator strength of the electronic transition and thus decrease the radiative decay rate constants from the singlet excited state. Nevertheless, these compounds maintain high fluorescence quantum yields (Φ_F>0.8) owing to the significantly retarded nonradiative decay process. In the study of the benzodiphosphole derivatives 11 and 12 , their cyclic voltammetry revealed that both of the phosphoryl and phosphine sulfide derivatives have low reduction potentials (?1.7 to ?1.8 V vs ferrocene/ferrocenium couple) with the high reversibility of the redox waves. These compounds also showed high thermal stabilities with the high glass transition temperatures of 147–159 °C, indicative of their potential utilities as amorphous materials.     

Revisiting the 7‐Phospanorbornene Family: New P‐Alkyl Derivatives

A series of 1‐alkyl‐3‐methyl‐2,5‐dihydro‐1H‐phosphole oxides were converted to the corresponding phosphole oxides that, by the Diels–Alder reaction with N‐maleimide derivatives or with another unit of phosphole oxide, yielded trapped phosphole oxides or phosphole oxide dimers, respectively, as new 7‐phosphanorbornene 7‐oxides. The stereostructures of three derivatives were evaluated by single crystal X‐ray analysis. The regio‐ and stereospecific dimerization was studied by B3LYP/6‐31G(d,p) quantum chemical calculations, whose results were in accord with syntheses. Novel mechanistic features were explored. The geometrical data obtained by single crystal X‐ray analysis validated the results of quantum chemical calculations, as the deviation was less than 3%.     

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.

     

3,14‐Bis(p‐nitrophenyl)‐17,17‐dipentyltetrabenzo[a,c,g,i]‐fluorene: A New Fluorophore Displaying Both Remarkable Solvatochromism and Crystalline‐Induced Emission

A series of 17,17‐dialkyl‐3,14‐diaryltetrabenzofluorenes were efficiently prepared by using Suzuki–Miyaura cross‐coupling reactions of the corresponding 3,14‐dibromo derivatives. Studies of the unique fluorescence properties of these compounds showed that they display intense blue to yellow fluorescence with high quantum yields in the solution state and blue to orange fluorescence with moderate quantum yields in the solid state. In addition, the fluorescence wavelength of the bis(p‐nitrophenyl) derivative is remarkably solvent‐dependent in a manner that correlates with the solvent polarity parameter E_T(30). The results of density function theory calculations suggest that the intramolecular charge‐transfer character of the HOMO–LUMO transition is responsible for the large solvent effect. Moreover, addition of water to a tetrahydrofuran (THF) solution of this compound leads to quenching of the yellow fluorescence owing to an increase in the solvent polarity. However, when the amount of water fraction exceeds 70 %, a new fluorescence band appears at the same orange‐red emission wavelength as that of the solid‐state fluorescence. This observation suggests the occurrence of a crystallization‐induced emission (CIE) phenomenon in highly aqueous THF.     

Tunable Photochromism in the Robust Dithienylethene‐Containing Phospholes: Design,Synthesis, Characterization,Electrochemistry, Photophysics,and Photochromic Studies

A series of dithienylethene‐containing phosphole derivatives has been designed, synthesized and characterized. One of the compounds has been characterized by X‐ray crystallography. Upon photoexcitation, the compounds exhibit drastic color changes, ascribed to the reversible photochromic behavior. Their photochromic, photophysical and electrochemical properties have been studied. They show photochromic reactivities with high photocyclization quantum yields. Their photophysical and photochromic properties are found to be facilely tuned in this system by substitution at the phosphole backbone, as well as variation on the extent of π‐conjugation of the phosphole backbone. Some selected compounds have been demonstrated to exhibit photochromic properties in polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) films.     

Multicolor Fluorescence Writing Based on Host–Guest Interactions and Force‐Induced Fluorescence‐Color Memory

A new strategy is reported for multicolor fluorescence writing on thin solid films with mechanical forces. This concept is illustrated by the use of a green‐fluorescent pentiptycene derivative 1 , which forms variably colored fluorescent exciplexes: a change from yellow to red was observed with anilines, and fluorescence quenching (a change to black) occurred in the presence of benzoquinone. Mechanical forces, such as grinding and shearing, induced a crystalline‐to‐amorphous phase transition in both the pristine and guest‐adsorbed solids that led to a change in the fluorescence color (mechanofluorochromism) and a memory of the resulting color. Fluorescence drawings of five or more colors were created on glass or paper and could be readily erased by exposure to air and dichloromethane fumes. The structural and mechanistic aspects of the observations are also discussed.     

Effect of the π Bridge and Acceptor on Intramolecular Charge Transfer in Push–Pull Cationic Chromophores: An Ultrafast Spectroscopic and TD‐DFT Computational Study

Three (donor–π–acceptor)⁺ systems with a methyl pyridinium or quinolinium as the electron‐deficient group, a dimethyl amino as the electron‐donor group, and an ethylene or butadiene group as the spacer have been investigated in a joint spectroscopic and TD‐DFT computational study. A negative solvatochromism has been revealed in the absorption spectra, which implies a solution color change, and interpreted by considering the variation in the permanent dipole moment modulus and orientation upon photoexcitation. The fluorescence efficiency decreases upon increasing solvent polarity, in agreement with the excited‐state optimized geometries (planar in low‐polarity media and twisted in high‐polarity media). Femtosecond transient absorption has revealed the occurrence of a fast photoinduced intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) and the molecular factors that determine an efficient ICT. Considering the crucial role of the ICT in tuning the nonlinear optical (NLO) properties, these compounds can be considered promising NLO materials.     

Synthesis and Spectral Properties of 4‐(2,5‐Dimethoxyphenylmethelene)‐2‐phenyl‐5‐oxazolone (DMPO)

An interesting flourophore, 4‐(2,5‐dimethoxyphenylmethelene)‐2‐phenyl‐5‐oxazolone (DMPO) was synthesized by mixing an equivalent molar quantity of hippuric acid and 2,5‐dimethoxybenzaldehyde in acetic anhydride in the presence of anhydrous sodium acetate. The absorption and fluorescence characteristics of 4‐(2,5‐dimethoxy‐phenylmethelene)‐2‐phenyl‐5‐oxazolone (DMPO) were investigated in different solvents. DMPO dye exhibits red shift in both absorption and emission spectra as solvent polarity increases, indicating change in the dipole moment of molecules upon excitation due to an intramolecular charge transfer interaction. The fluorescence quantum yield depends strongly on the properties of the solvents, which was attributed to positive and negative solvatokinetic effects. A crystalline solid of DMPO gave strong excimer like emission at 630 nm due to the excitation of molecular aggregates. This is expected from the idealized crystal structure of the dye that belongs to the B‐type class of Steven's Classification. DMPO displayed fluorescence quenching by triethylamine via nonemissive exciplex formation.     

New P‐ligands: The aromaticity and reactivity of 2,4,6‐trialkylphenylphospholes

A further member of 2,4,6‐trialkyl‐phenyl‐phos‐pholes, the ditertbutylmethylphenyl derivative ( 1c ) was characterized by Bird index and by the sum of angles at the phosphorus atom to describe the flattening of the P‐pyramid. Both numbers suggested a slight aromaticity. The reaction of arylphospholes with phosphorus tribromide was extended to phosphole 1c leading this occasion, after further steps, to the mixture of 3‐ and 2‐substituted products ( 3c‐1 and 3c‐2 , respectively). A triisopropylphenyl‐2H‐phosphole ( 4 ) formed by sigmatropic rearrangement was utilized in the preparation of new 1‐phosphanorbornene derivatives, such as sulfide 6 and hemi‐oxides 8‐1 and 8‐2 . Further oxidation of the latter species ( 8‐1 and 8‐2 ) led to the decomposition of the dimeric structure ( 11 ). 4 could also be trapped by benzaldehyde to afford the oxaphosphanorbornene ( 10 ) as one diastereomer. Finally, the reversible formation of 2H‐phosphole 4 from 1H‐phosphole 1a at 150°C was proved. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 16:104–222, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience ( www.interscience.wiley.com ). DOI 10.1002/hc.20077     

N‐Boc‐Indolylbenzothiadiazole Derivatives: Efficient Full‐Color Solid‐State Fluorescence and Self‐Recovering Mechanochromic Luminescence

Herein, the solid‐state emission with good fluorescence quantum yields of N‐Boc‐indolylbenzothiadiazoles as a new class of fluorophores is described. Their solid‐state emission covers the wide range of the visible spectrum and the emission color can be tuned easily by changing the substituents on the two heteroaromatic rings. Among these, 3‐methylindolyl derivatives exhibit moreover autonomously self‐recovering mechanochromic luminescence, whereby the original solid‐state emission could be recovered spontaneously at room temperature after exposure to a mechanical stimulus. The emission color, as well as the recovery time for the color change could be tuned via the introduction of different substituents on the benzothiadiazole ring. We propose that the mechanism of the autonomously self‐recovering mechanochromic luminescence of 3‐methylindolylbenzothiadiazoles is based on a partial amorphization of the crystals upon exposure to the mechanical stimulus, followed by autonomous recovering in the form of recrystallization.     

Polydiacetylene‐Tb3+ Nanosheets of Which Both the Color and the Fluorescence Can Be Reversibly Switched between Two Colors

Polydiacetylenes (PDAs), an organic layered compound, show a series of intriguing properties, such as thermochromism and fluorescence emission in the red‐phase. However, their irreversible color change, and weak and single‐color fluorescence emitted only from the red‐phase PDAs, have limited their applications. Herein, we report double‐reversible PDA‐Tb³⁺ nanosheets of which both the color and the fluorescence can be reversibly switched between two colors. PDA‐Tb³⁺ nanosheets have the nearly defect‐free intercalated structure in which a layer of Tb³⁺ ions was intercalated in between each two PDA bilayers to tether almost all of the carboxyl groups at the end of the side chains of the PDA. When the PDA is in the blue phase, the PDA‐Tb³⁺ nanosheets emit the green fluorescence of Tb³⁺ ions. When the PDA is in the red phase, the Tb³⁺ fluorescence disappears while the intrinsic red fluorescence of PDA is effectively enhanced through the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) process; the PDA‐Tb³⁺ nanosheets emit stronger red fluorescence compared with the PDA in red phase. Moreover, the tethering of almost all of the carboxyl groups at the end of the side chains of the PDA endows the nanosheets with the double reversibility in both the color and fluorescence transitions.     

Synthesis and Structure–Property Relationships of Phosphole‐Based π Systems and Their Applications in Organic Solar Cells

Phosphole is a chemically tunable heterole, and its π‐conjugated derivatives are potential candidates for optoelectronic materials. This account describes recent developments in the synthesis and structure–property relationships of π‐conjugated phosphole derivatives made by my research group. Thiophene–phosphole–styrene, phosphole–acetylene–arene, oligophosphole, polyphosphole, areno[c]phosphole, and phosphole–heterole π systems are synthesized using titanacycle‐mediated metathesis and palladium‐catalyzed cross‐coupling reactions. The structural, optical, and electrochemical properties of selected compounds are discussed. Initial results on some applications of thiophene–phosphole copolymers, acenaphtho[c]phospholes, and amine–terthiophene–phosphole donor–π–acceptor dyes in organic solar cells are described. These results give valuable information and guidelines for designing new phosphorus‐containing organic materials for molecular electronics.     

Turn‐On Fluorescence Detection of Apoptotic Cells Using a Zinc(II)‐Dipicolylamine‐Functionalized Poly(diacetylene) Liposome

A liposome‐based fluorescence sensing system for apoptotic cells has been developed from stimuli‐responsive poly(diacetylene)‐liposomes for the first time. The combination of the liposome components, a phosphatidylserine‐binding Zn^II‐dipicolylamine component and an alcohol‐terminated component in the ratio of 2:1, has led to an efficient detection system for apoptotic cells, as demonstrated by confocal fluorescence microscopy and FACS analysis. The liposome shows a color change from blue to reddish purple and emits fluorescence in the turn‐on mode upon interaction with phosphatidylserine. The present system thus avoids the washing steps required for “always‐on”‐type sensing systems.     

Bimetallic Gold(I) Complexes with Ethynyl‐Helicene and Bis‐Phosphole Ligands: Understanding the Role of Aurophilic Interactions in their Chiroptical Properties

Monometallic gold(I)‐alkynyl‐helicene complexes ( 1 a , b ) and bimetallic gold(I)‐alkynyl‐helicene architectures featuring the presence ( 2 a , b ) or absence ( 3 a , b ) of aurophilic intramolecular interactions were prepared by using different types of phosphole ligands (mono‐phosphole L1 or bis‐phospholes L2 , 3 ). The influence of the Au^I d¹⁰ metal center(s) on the electronic, photophysical, and chiroptical properties of these unprecedented phosphole‐gold(I)‐alkynyl‐helicene complexes was examined. Experimental and theoretical results highlight the importance of ligand‐to‐ligand‐type charge transfers and the strong effect of the presence or absence of Au^I–Au^I interactions in 2 a , b .     

Temperature‐Dependent Behavior of the Dual Fluorescence of 2‐(3‐Fluorophenyl)‐2,3‐dihydro‐1H‐benzo[f]isoindole‐1,3‐dione

The fluorescence behavior of 2‐(3‐fluorophenyl)‐2,3‐dihydro‐1H‐benzo[f]isoindole‐1,3‐dione ( 1 ) was studied in solvents of different polarity and viscosity. Dual luminescence is observed and the short‐wavelength emission is found to increase considerably with the solvent polarity. The ratio of the fluorescence quantum yield of the two states emitting, the one (SW*) at short wavelength and the other (LW*) at long wavelength, shows a bell‐shaped dependence on the reciprocal of the temperature in diethyl ether, butyronitrile, and propane‐1,2,3‐triol triacetate (glycerol triacetate; GTA). This has been interpreted as the result of a reversible interconversion between the two states. The enthalpy difference between the SW* and LW* excited states, as deduced from the slope of the ln (Φ/Φ) vs. 1/T curves in the high temperature range, is found to be solvent polarity and solvent viscosity independent as the same value (−7.3 kJ/mol) is obtained in the three above‐mentioned solvents. The independence from polarity is the consequence of a similar difference in dipole moment between the ground‐state and the SW* and LW* excited states (4.5 and 4.9 D, respectively, derived from solvatochromy). The activation energy of the SW*→LW* step deduced from the low temperature measurements in the nonviscous solvents, increases with solvent polarity (11.6 and 17.5 kJ/mol for diethyl ether and butyronitrile, respectively); they are greater than the viscous‐flow activation energy of the solvents indicating that the resolvation of the excited dipole controls the kinetics. In the nonviscous solvents, the LW* state originates from the SW* state, while in the viscous GTA solution, both states are formed simultaneously within the 1‐ps laser pulse.     

Synthesis and characterization of novel π‐conjugated polymers with phosphole ring derivatives

Novel π‐conjugated polymers ( 8 – 10 ) were prepared by the palladium‐catalyzed Sonogashira coupling reaction of three kinds of phosphole‐ring‐containing monomers with 2,5‐dihexyloxyl‐1,4‐diethynylbenzene. The obtained polymers ( 8 – 10 ) were regioregulated with the 2,5‐substituted phosphole ring in the polymer main chain and characterized with ¹H, ¹³C, and ³¹P NMR and FTIR. Polymers 8 – 10 were found to have an extended π‐conjugated system according to the results of UV–vis absorption spectra. In the fluorescence emission spectra of 8 – 10 , moderate emission peaks were observed in the visible blue‐to‐green region. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 45: 2867–2875, 2007