Applying strong external electric field to thiophene‐based oligomers: A promising approach to upgrade semiconducting performance

A key parameter dictating the rate of charge transfer (CT) is reorganization energy (λ ), an energy associated with geometry changes during hole/electron transfer. We show that “ironing” the inter‐ring dihedral angles of oligothiophenes via proper substitutions or insertions (e.g., ‐OR, ‐F or ‐C≡C‐), decreases the λ and thus promotes CT according to Marcus equation. Our results demonstrate, to attain a smaller λ , extending oligomer length is only significant if the flattened backbone structure is realized. Of great interest is that external electric fields, which are ubiquitous in electronic devices yet commonly overlooked in the computation of λ , can have a significantly greater impact than conventional substitutions. It is important to emphasize, the responses of λ to external fields is system‐dependent. Compared to fused‐ring conjugated systems, single‐bond connected thiophenes are more sensitive to external fields. F_x lowers the λ (552 meV) of quaterthiophene by almost 80% at the intensity of 1 V/Å, down to a value (125 meV) which is even lower than that of pentacene (154 meV) and rubrene (219 meV) at the same level of theory. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

1‐Phenyl‐5‐(piperidino­methyl)‐1H‐tetrazole

In the mol­ecule of the title 1,5‐disubstituted tetrazole, C₁₃H₁₇N₅, the tetrazole and benzene rings are not coplanar, having a dihedral angle of 42.96 (5)° between them. The piperidine fragment adopts a chair conformation, and there is a non‐classical intramolecular contact between the benzene H atom and the piperidine N atom. Intermolecular C—H⋯π interactions involving the piperidine C—H groups and the benzene rings are responsible for the formation of two‐dimensional networks, extending parallel to the ab plane. These networks are linked together into a three‐dimensional polymeric structure viaπ–π stacking interactions between the tetrazole rings of two adjacent mol­ecules.     

Effects of Spatial Constraints and Brønsted Acid Site Locations on para‐Terphenyl Ionization and Charge Transfer in Zeolites

The locations of Brønsted acid sites (BAS) in the channels of medium‐pore zeolites have a significant effect on the spontaneous ionization of para‐terphenyl (PP₃) insofar as spatial constraints determine the stability of transition states and charge‐transfer complexes relevant to charge separation. The ionization rates and ionization yield values demonstrate that a strong synergy exists between the H⁺ polarization energy and spatial constraints imposed by the channel topology. Spectroscopic and modeling results show that PP₃ incorporation, charge separation, charge transfer and charge recombination differ dramatically among zeolites with respect to channel structure (H‐FER, H‐MFI, H‐MOR) and BAS density in the channel. Compartmentalization of ejected electrons away from the initial site of ionization decreases dramatically the propensity for charge recombination. The main mode of PP₃^.+ decay is hole transfer to form AlO₄H^.+ ??? PP₃ charge‐transfer complexes characterized by intense absorption in the visible range. According to the nonadiabatic electron‐transfer theory, the small reorganization energy in constrained channels explains the slow hole‐transfer rate.     

N‐Benzylnicotinamide and N‐benzyl‐1,4‐dihydronicotinamide: useful models for NAD+ and NADH

3‐Aminocarbonyl‐1‐benzylpyridinium bromide (N‐benzylnicotinamide, BNA), C₁₃H₁₃N₂O⁺·Br⁻, (I), and 1‐benzyl‐1,4‐dihydropyridine‐3‐carboxamide (N‐benzyl‐1,4‐dihydronicotinamide, rBNA), C₁₃H₁₄N₂O, (II), are valuable model compounds used to study the enzymatic cofactors NAD(P)⁺ and NAD(P)H. BNA was crystallized successfully and its structure determined for the first time, while a low‐temperature high‐resolution structure of rBNA was obtained. Together, these structures provide the most detailed view of the reactive portions of NAD(P)⁺ and NAD(P)H. The amide group in BNA is rotated 8.4 (4)° out of the plane of the pyridine ring, while the two rings display a dihedral angle of 70.48 (17)°. In the rBNA structure, the dihydropyridine ring is essentially planar, indicating significant delocalization of the formal double bonds, and the amide group is coplanar with the ring [dihedral angle = 4.35 (9)°]. This rBNA conformation may lower the transition‐state energy of an ene reaction between a substrate double bond and the dihydropyridine ring. The transition state would involve one atom of the double bond binding to the carbon ortho to both the ring N atom and the amide substituent of the dihydropyridine ring, while the other end of the double bond accepts an H atom from the methylene group para to the N atom.     

{4‐[(Carbamimidoylhydrazono)methyl‐κ2N1,N4]‐5‐hydroxymethyl‐2‐methylpyridinium‐3‐olate‐κO}(methanol‐κO)copper(II) dinitrate

The title compound, [Cu(C₉H₁₃N₅O₂)(CH₄O)](NO₃)₂, consists of square‐planar cationic complex units where the Cu^II centre is coordinated by an N,N′,O‐tridentate pyridoxal–aminoguanidine Schiff base adduct and a methanol molecule. The tridentate ligand is a zwitterion exhibiting an almost planar conformation. The dihedral angles between the mean planes of the pyridoxal ring and the six‐ and five‐membered chelate rings are all less than 2.0°. The charge on the complex cation is neutralized by two nitrate counter‐ions. Extensive N—H...O and C—H...O hydrogen bonding connects these ionic species and leads to the formation of layers. The pyridoxal hydroxy groups are the only fragments that deviate significantly from the flat layer structure; these groups are involved in O—H...O hydrogen bonding, connecting the layers into a three‐dimensional crystal structure.     

N,N′‐Bis(2‐hydroxybenzylidene)pentane‐1,5‐diamine

In the title potential O,N,N′,O′‐tetradentate Schiff base ligand {systematic name: 2,2′‐[pentane‐1,5‐diylbis(nitrilomethylidyne)]diphenol}, C₁₉H₂₂N₂O₂, the mutual orientation of the three planar fragments determines the conformation of the molecule. The dihedral angles between the planes of the two salicylidene groups and the plane of the central extended pentane chain are 78.4 (2) and 62.0 (3)°, and the angle between the terminal ring planes is 55.4 (1)°. Strong intramolecular O—H...N hydrogen bonds close almost‐planar six‐membered rings, and the O—H bonds are elongated as a result of hydrogen‐bond formation.     

2‐Ethylsulfanyl‐7‐(furan‐2‐yl)‐4‐(thiophen‐2‐yl)pyrazolo[1,5‐a][1,3,5]triazine: π‐stacked chains of hydrogen‐bonded R22(10) dimers

In the title compound, C₁₅H₁₂N₄OS₂, the bond distances in the fused heterocyclic system show evidence for aromatic‐type delocalization in the pyrazole ring with some bond fixation in the triazine ring. The thiophenyl substituent is slightly disordered over two sets of atomic sites having occupancies of 0.934 (4) and 0.066 (4). The non‐H atoms in the entire molecule are nearly coplanar, with the planes of the furanyl substituent and the major orientation of the thiophenyl substituent making dihedral angles of 5.72 (17) and 1.8 (3)°, respectively, with that of the fused ring system. Molecules are linked into centrosymmetric R₂²(10) dimers by C—H...O hydrogen bonds and these dimers are further linked into chains by a single π–π stacking interaction. Comparisons are made with some related 4,7‐diaryl‐2‐(ethylsulfanyl)pyrazolo[1,5‐a][1,3,5]triazines which contain variously substituted aryl groups in place of the furanyl and thiophenyl substituents in the title compound.     

Bis[μ‐1,2‐bis(2‐pyridyl)ethyne‐κ2N:N′]bis[aquadinitratocadmium(II)]

Two twisted 1,2‐bis(2‐pyridyl)­ethyne ligands bridge two Cd²⁺ centers in the C₂‐symmetric title complex, [Cd₂(NO₃)₄(μ‐C₁₂H₈N₂)₂(H₂O)₂]. The bridging ligands arch across one another creating a `zigzag loop' molecular geometry. Two nitrate ions and a water mol­ecule complete the irregular seven‐coordinate Cd‐atom environment. The dihedral angles between the equivalent pyridyl ring planes of the two independent ligands are 67.2 (1)°. O_water—H⃛O_nitrate hydrogen bonding creates two‐dimensional layers parallel to the ab plane.     

N‐Methyl‐N‐(1‐phenyl­sulfonyl­indol‐2‐ylmethyl)­aniline

In the title compound, 2‐[(methylphenylamino)methyl]‐1‐(phenylsulfonyl)indole, C₂₂H₂₀N₂O₂S, the indole system is not strictly planar and the dihedral angle between the fused rings is 2.7 (1)°. The angles around the S atom of the sulfonyl substituent deviate significantly from the ideal value for tetrahedral geometry. The pyramidalization at the indole N atom is very small. Of the two C—H?O interactions, one influences the orientation of indole with respect to the sulfonyl group and the other determines the orientation of the phenyl bound to sulfonyl. The phenyl ring of the sulfonyl substituent makes a dihedral angle of 89.6 (1)° with the best plane of the indole. The molecular packing is stabilized by C—H?π and C—H?O hydrogen bonds.     

Construction of hole‐transported MoO3‐x coupled with CdS nanospheres for boosting photocatalytic performance via oxygen‐defects‐mediated Z‐scheme charge transfer

The establishment of Z‐scheme charge transfer between semiconductors is an effective method to improve the performance of hybridized semiconductor photocatalysts. Herein, the novel photocatalysts consisting of MoO_3‐x and varying amounts of cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanospheres were successfully prepared via the one‐pot hydrothermal method in the presence of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). It is indicated that the PVP not only served as the reducing agent for the formation of oxygen defects in MoO_3‐x, but also the cross‐linking agent for the coupling between MoO_3‐x and CdS. The CdS/MoO_3‐x composite allowed for higher visible‐light photocatalytic performance for enhanced removal of methylene blue and tetracycline with an efficiency of 97.6% and 85.5%, respectively. The improved performance of the CdS/MoO_3‐x composite was found to be mainly attributable to the remarkable charge carrier separation and transfer between CdS and MoO_3‐x based on the favorable hole‐transporting nature and oxygen deficiencies of MoO_3‐x. In addition, the hole‐oxidized photocorrosion of CdS was efficiently suppressed due to the presence of hole‐attractive MoO_3‐x. At the solid interface, an oxygen‐defects‐mediated Z‐scheme charge carrier transfer pathway was proposed as the underlying mechanism for the superior photocatalytic reaction.     

The Role of Torsional Dynamics on Hole and Exciton Stabilization in π‐Stacked Assemblies: Design of Rigid Torsionomers of a Cofacial Bifluorene

Exciton and charge delocalization across π‐stacked assemblies is of importance in biological systems and functional polymeric materials. To examine the requirements for exciton and hole stabilization, cofacial bifluorene ( F 2) torsionomers were designed, synthesized, and characterized: unhindered (model) ^Me F 2, sterically hindered ^tBu F 2, and cyclophane‐like ^C F 2, where fluorenes are locked in a perfect sandwich orientation via two methylene linkers. This set of bichromophores with varied torsional rigidity and orbital overlap shows that exciton stabilization requires a perfect sandwich‐like arrangement, as seen by strong excimeric‐like emission only in ^C F 2 and ^Me F 2. In contrast, hole delocalization is less geometrically restrictive and occurs even in sterically hindered ^tBu F 2, as judged by 160 mV hole stabilization and a near‐IR band in the spectrum of its cation radical. These findings underscore the diverse requirements for charge and energy delocalization across π‐stacked assemblies.     

1‐[(1‐Ethoxypropylidene)amino]‐2‐ethyl‐4‐(4‐hydroxybenzyl)imidazol‐5(4H)‐one

The racemic title compound, C₁₇H₂₃N₃O₃, isolated from the reaction of l ‐(−)‐tyrosine hydrazide with triethyl orthopropionate in the presence of a catalytic quantity of p‐toluenesulfonic acid (p‐TsOH), crystallizes with Z′ = 1 in a centrosymmetric monoclinic unit cell. The molecule contains two planar fragments, viz. the benzene and imidazole rings, linked by two C—C single bonds. The dihedral angle between the two planes is 59.54 (5)° and the molecule adopts a synclinal conformation. The HOMA (harmonic oscillator model of aromaticity) index, calculated for the benzene ring, demonstrates no substantial interaction between the two π‐electron delocalization regions in the molecule. In the crystal structure, there is an O—H...N hydrogen bond that links the molecules along the c axis.     

Photoinduced Electron‐Transfer Processes in Fullerene‐Based Donor–Acceptor Systems

Photoinduced electron‐transfer processes in fullerene‐based donor–acceptor dyads (D? B? A) in homogeneous and cluster systems are summarized. Stabilization of charge has been achieved through the use of fullerene substituted‐aniline/heteroaromatic dyads with tunable ionization potentials and also by using fullerene clusters. The rate constants for charge separation (k_CS) and charge recombination (k_CR) in fullerene substituted‐aniline/heteroaromatic dyads show that forward electron transfer falls in the normal region of the Marcus curve and the back electron transfer in the inverted region of the Marcus parabola. Clustering of fullerene‐based dyads assists in effective delocalization of the separated charge and thereby slows down the back electron transfer in these cases.     

5‐Amino‐4‐(4‐diethylaminophenyl)‐2‐phenyl‐7‐(pyrrolidin‐1‐yl)‐1,6‐naph­thyridine‐8‐carbonitrile

In the title compound, C₂₉H₃₀N₆, the naphthyridine ring is almost planar with a dihedral angle of 5.4 (1)° between the pyridyl rings. The dihedral angles between the naphthyridine system and the diethyl­amino­phenyl, phenyl and pyrrolidine rings are 53.1 (1), 19.8 (1) and 20.9 (1)°, respectively. The pyrrolidine ring adopts a half‐chair conformation. The mol­ecule is stabilized by weak C—H?N interactions.     

4‐Amino‐N‐isopropyl­benzamidinium chloride ethanol solvate

The title compound, C₁₀H₁₆N·Cl⁻·C₂H₆O, is an important intermediate in the convergent synthesis of amidine‐substituted polycyclic heterocycles, a class of compounds that shows significant anticancer activity. The molecule of (I) is not planar, having a dihedral angle of 25.00 (7)° between the aniline and amidine (–C—NH=C=NH₂) groups. The proton­ation of the amidine molecular fragment is accompanied by delocalized C—N bond distances of 1.320 (2) and 1.317 (2) Å. The cations and chloride anions are involved in a network of hydrogen bonds, resulting in the formation of infinite chains propagating along the b direction. The chains are further grouped within the ab plane, in such a way that the structure is segregated into layers dominated by hydro­phobic interactions involving N‐isopropyl residues and layers dominated by N—H⋯Cl [N⋯Cl = 3.275 (2)–3.596 (2) Å], O—H⋯Cl [O⋯Cl = 3.229 (3) Å] and N—H⋯O [N⋯O = 2.965 (3) Å] hydrogen bonds.     

4,5,9,10‐Tetrahydro‐4‐methyl‐2‐phenyl‐9,10‐epoxy‐3H,10aH‐cyclobuta[a]benzo[2,3,4‐de]isoquinoline‐3,5‐dione

In the title compound, C₂₁H₁₅NO₃, which is one of the photoreaction products of N‐methyl‐1,8‐naphthalene­dicar­box­imide with phenyl­acetyl­ene, the cyclo­butene and epoxy rings are trans to each other across the cyclo­hexene ring of the tetralin moiety. The dihedral angle between the mean planes of the cyclo­butene and cyclo­hexene rings is 112.80 (2)°, while the latter makes a dihedral angle of 103.70 (9)° with the epoxy ring. The crystal structure is stabilized by C—H⋯O intermolecular interactions.     

(Z)‐5‐[(5‐Methyl‐1H‐imidazol‐4‐yl)methylidene]‐2‐sulfanylidene‐1,3‐thiazolidin‐4‐one monohydrate: a three‐dimensional hydrogen‐bonded framework structure

The non‐H atoms in the organic component of the title compound, C₈H₇N₃OS₂·H₂O, are almost coplanar, as the dihedral angle between the two ring planes is only 1.8 (2)°; there is a wide C—C—C angle of 127.8 (3)° at the methine C atom linking the two rings. The molecular components are linked into a three‐dimensional framework structure by two‐centre hydrogen bonds of N—H...O and O—H...N types, together with a three‐centre O—H...(N,S) system. Comparisons are made with some (Z)‐5‐arylmethylidene‐2‐sulfanylidene‐1,3‐thiazolidin‐4‐ones.     

1,1′‐Di­acetyl‐3‐hydroxy‐2,2′,3,3′‐tetra­hydro‐3,3′‐bi(1H‐indole)‐2,2′‐dione

In the title compound, C₂₀H₁₆N₂O₅, both of the 1‐acetyl­isatin (1‐acetyl‐1H‐indole‐2,3‐dione) moieties are planar and form a dihedral angle of 74.1 (1)°. Weak intermolecular hydrogen bonds and C—H?π interactions stabilize the packing in the crystal.     

rac‐(Z)‐2‐(2‐Thienylmethylene)‐1‐azabicyclo[2.2.2]octan‐3‐ol

The asymmetric unit of the racemic form of the title compound, C₁₂H₁₅NOS, contains four crystallographically independent molecules. The olefinic bond connecting the 2‐thienyl and 1‐azabicyclo[2.2.2]octan‐3‐ol moieties has Z geometry. Strong hydrogen bonding occurs in a directed co‐operative O—H...O—H...O—H...O—H R₄⁴(8) pattern that influences the conformation of the molecules. Co‐operative C—H...π interactions between thienyl rings are also present. The average dihedral angle between adjacent thienyl rings is 87.09 (4)°.