Photochromism of diarylethenes with two nitronyl nitroxides: photoswitching of an intramolecular magnetic interaction

Photochromic diarylethenes that have p-phenylene-substituted benzothiophene aryl groups with and without nitronyl nitroxide radicals at both ends of the molecules were synthesized. The absorption maxima of the closed-ring isomers showed a hypsochromic shift with the increase in the pi-conjugated chain length. The unique behavior was attributed to the stabilization by the resonant quinoid structures. Both photocyclization and photocycloreversion quantum yields of the diarylethene with nitronyl nitroxide radicals were found to increase with the increase in the pi-conjugated chain length. Photoswitching of the magnetic interaction between two nitronyl nitroxide radicals was studied by means of ESR spectroscopy. The change in exchange interaction between open- and closed-ring isomers of 1,2-bis[6-[4-[4-(1-oxyl-3-oxide-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazolin-2-yl)phenyl]phenyl]-2-methyl-1-benzothiophen-3-yl]hexafluorocyclopentene was determined to be more than 30-fold.     

Triarylamine-combined nitronyl nitroxide and its hole-transporting property

N,N-Bis(4-methoxyphenyl)-4-(1-oxyl-3-oxide-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazolin-2-yl)phenylamine (1) was synthesized as a durable nitronyl nitroxide radical combined with a triarylamine moiety. Cyclic voltammetry and UV–Vis absorption spectra during the electrochemical oxidation of 1 revealed that the first redox was derived from the triarylamine moiety. The ionization potential of 1 was measured by photoelectron spectroscopy to be −5.4 eV, which was appropriate as a hole-transporting material. A single-layer hole-only device was fabricated with the radical molecule 1 dispersed in polycarbonate (ITO/1:polycarbonate/Al): The radical-layer exhibited a maximum current density of 0.2 mA/cm², which was applicable for organic electronic devices.     

Study on the heteroatom influence in pyridine-based nitronyl nitroxide biradicals with phenylethynyl spacers on the molecular ground state

Novel pyridine-based nitronyl nitroxide (NIT) biradicals, 3,5-bis[4-(1-oxyl-3-oxo-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazolin-2-yl)phenylethynyl)]pyridine (1) and 2,6-bis[4-(1-oxyl-3-oxo-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazolin-2-yl)phenylethynyl)]pyridine (2), and monoradicals, 4-(5-bromopyridine-3-ylethynyl)-1-(1-oxyl-3-oxo-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazolin-2-yl)benzene (3), 4-trimethylsilylethynyl-1-(1-oxyl-3-oxo-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazolin-2-yl)benzene (4), and 4-trimethylsilylethynyl-1-(1-oxyl-3-oxo-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazolin-2-yl)pyridine (5), were synthesized and investigated by ESR and UV-vis spectroscopy. The solution EPR measurements of the biradicals gave well-resolved, nine-line spectra with exact half line spacing as compared to monoradicals (giso = 2.0067) with isotropic line spacing /aN/= 7.36 G. This indicates strong, intramolecular exchange coupling (J > 7 x 10(-4) cm(-1); J/aN > 1) of the biradicals with in the limit of EPR. The temperature dependence on the Deltams = +/-2 signal intensity of biradicals follow Curie behavior down to 4 K ascertaining the triplet ground state or its near-degeneracy with the singlet state. UV-vis studies of 1-5 show characteristic differences in the extinctions of n-pi transitions around 600 nm. Both biradicals 1 and 2 were crystallized in monoclinic space groups C2/c and P2(1)/a with the intraradical distances 1.54 and 1.47 nm, respectively. Computational studies of the biradicals 1, 2, and 1,3-bis[4-(1-oxyl-3-oxo-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazolin-2-yl)phenylethynyl)]benzene (T) were performed by the AM1/CAS(8,8) method to calculate the singlet-triplet (DeltaEST) energy difference and the spin density distribution. Results show that the position of the pyridyl nitrogen in 1 and 2 in comparison with T does not alter the triplet ground-state spin multiplicities supporting the obtained experimental results.     

2D and 3D Cu(hfac)2 complexes with nitronyl nitroxide biradicals

Reactions between Cu(hfac)2 and nitronyl nitroxide biradicals 1,4-bis[4-(4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-3-oxide-1-oxyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-2-yl)pyrazol-1-yl]butane (L4) and 1,8-bis[4-(4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-3-oxide-1-oxyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-2-yl)pyrazol-1-yl]octane (L8) gave respectively a framework compound [Cu(hfac)2]2L4 and a layered polymer compound [Cu(hfac)2]2L8. The framework of [Cu(hfac)2]2L4 consists of 66-membered condensed metallocycles. Inside the framework, the structure has macrohelixes (pitch approximately 25 A) extending along the [001] crystallographic direction. All the helixes have the same direction of winding; the crystals, therefore, are optically active, the structure corresponding either to P-isomer (P4(1)2(1)2) or to M-isomer (P4(3)2(1)2). The long distances between the Cu atoms and the O atoms of the coordinated >N-O groups (Cu-O 2.351-2.467 A) are responsible for ferromagnetic exchange interactions in Cu2+-O-N< and >N-O-Cu2+-O-N< exchange clusters.     

Interaction of a lithiated nitronyl nitroxide with polyfluorinated 1,4-naphthoquinones

A 4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazole-3-oxide-1-oxyl lithium derivative was found to react with 2-methoxypentafluoro-1,4-naphthoquinone to form a product of addition at the carbonyl function: radical 2-(3,5,6,7,8-pentafluoro-1-hydroxy-2-methoxy-4-oxo-1,4-dihydronaphthalen-1-yl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazole-3-oxide-1-oxyl. The yield of the addition product increased with temperature and reached 84% at 0?°C. The reaction of the lithium derivative with hexafluoro-1,4-naphthoquinone gave rise to a product of addition at both carbonyl groups, namely, nitronyl nitroxide diradical 2,3,5,6,7,8-hexafluoro-1,4-bis(4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-3-oxide-1-oxyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazole-2-yl)-1,4-dihydronaphthalene-1,4-diol in a 16% yield. The structures of both mono- and diradical were solved by X-ray diffraction analysis, which revealed formation of an intramolecular H-bond between the OH group and nitroxide oxygen. According to electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, the obtained mono- and dinitroxide are prone to spontaneous deoxygenation in a toluene solution to give corresponding iminonitroxides. In water, they are much more stable.     

One-dimensional lanthanide complexes bridged by nitronyl nitroxide radical ligands with non-chelating nitrogen donors: Structure and magnetic characterization

A series of new lanthanide-radical complexes [{Ln(hfac)3}2(NITPhIM)2] (Ln = Nd (1), Eu (2), Tb (3), Er (4); hfac = hexafluoroacetylacetonate; NITPhIM = 2-[4-(1-imidazole)phenyl]-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide) have been prepared and characterized. Single crystal X-ray diffraction analyses reveal that these complexes are isostructural with one-dimensional chain structures. These consist in Ln(hfac)3 units bridged by the paramagnetic ligands by the means of coordination of their nitronyl nitroxide groups and imidazole rings. Interestingly, each Ln ion is either bound to two nitronyl nitroxide groups or to two imidazole units, and the different Ln centers alternate along the chain. Magnetic studies show that complex 3 exhibits a single-chain magnet behavior.     

Bis(1,1,1,3,5,5,5-heptafluoro-4-iminopent-2-ene-2-aminato)copper(<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">ii</Emphasis>) — a new metal-containing matrix in the design of heterospin systems

The first heterospin compounds based on bis(1,1,1,3,5,5,5-heptafluoro-4-iminopent-2-ene-2-aminato)copper(ii) (CuL₂) and nitronyl nitroxide radicals, 2-R-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazole-3-oxide-1-oxyls (NIT-R, where R = H, Me, Ph, and 1-methylpyrazol-4-yl), were synthesized and structurally characterized. An important peculiarity of the structure of synthesized solid phases is the formation of a supramolecular structure due to hydrogen bonds between the oxygen atoms of the nitronyl nitroxide fragments of NIT-R and the hydrogen atoms of the NH groups of CuL₂.     

A stable organic triradical with truncated π-conjugation as a model for single-component organic molecule-based ferrimagnetics

As a novel molecular design for genuinely organic molecule-based ferrimagnets, we have proposed a strategy of ‘single-component ferrimagnetics.’ When a π-biradical with an S=1 ground state and a π-monoradical with S=1/2 are united by σ-bonds, the π-conjugation between the biradical and the monoradical moieties should be truncated in the resultant triradical. This gives magnetic degrees of freedom for both S=1 and S=1/2 in the single molecule, serving as a building block for organic molecular ferrimagnets. We have designed and synthesized a triradical, 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-pipelidine-1-N-oxyl-4-carboxylic acid 2,4-bis(1-oxyl-3-oxido-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-2-imidazolin-2-yl)-phenyl ester (2) as a model compound for single-component ferrimagnetics. Solution-phase ESR spectra from 2 are explained by a perturbation treatment assuming that the exchange interaction within the biradical moiety is much larger than those between the biradical and the monoradical moieties, which is suitable for single-component ferrimagnetics. From susceptibility measurements for a cyclohexane-substituted biradical, cyclohexane carboxylic acid 2,4-bis(1-oxyl-3-oxido-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-2-imidazolin-2-yl) phenyl ester (4) as a biradical analogue of 2, it is shown that the intramolecular ferromagnetic interaction has been found to be unaffected by the chemical modification for anchoring the monoradical moiety.     

Tuning of the nitronyl nitroxide radical magnetic and electronic properties by inclusion in cucurbit[n]urils

A nitronyl nitroxide, 2-(benzimidazolyl)-4,4,5,5,-tetramethylimidazolidinyl-3-oxide-1-oxy, 1 and its imino nitroxide analog 2, have been included in cucurbit[n]urils, CBn (n = 7,8), as their hydrochlorides and neutral compounds as well. The hydrochlorides form soluble 1:1 complexes. In the solid state the paramagnetic centers are well isolated and magnetic interactions are cancelled out in contrast to what is observed for the pure nitroxides. The two inclusion complexes involving 1 were characterized by X-ray crystallography. When they were heated in the solid state, one observed a clean conversion of the nitronyl nitroxide guest, 1, into its analog 2.     

Synthesis,crystal structure and ferromagnetic interactions of a silver(I) complex with imizadolyl-substituted nitroxide radicals

A silver(I) complex with nitronyl nitroxide, [Ag₂(NIT-R)₄(NO₃)₂]?·?CH₃OH [NIT-R?=?2-(5-methylimidazol-4-yl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-2-imidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide], has been prepared and characterized by magnetic and single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. In the complex, the silver(I) ion is coordinated with two monodentate nitronyl nitroxide radicals by the nitrogen of the imizadole ring. The silver(I) ion is two-coordinate and forms a dimer through Ag?···?Ag weak metal bonding interactions. The magnetic properties for the title complex have been investigated in the temperature range 2?～?300?K showing ferromagnetic interactions between the coordinated nitronyl nitroxides (J?=?3.64?cm^?1) and intermolecular antiferromagnetic interactions.     

Heterospin complexes based on dinuclear CuII triketonate and nitroxides

Heterospin complexes of bis(μ₂-1,1,2,2,8,8,9,9-octafluorononane-3,5,7-trionato)dicopper(II) ([Cu₂L₂]) with nitronyl nitroxides 2-(1-methyl-1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazole-1-oxyl 3-oxide (2) and 4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-2-(3-pyridinyl)-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazole-1-oxyl 3-oxide (1) were synthesized and structurally characterized. Crystals of the complexes are formed by the discrete bis[1-methyl-4-(4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-3-oxide-1-oxyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-2-yl)-1H-pyrazole]-bis (μ₂-1,1,2,2,8,8,9,9-octafluorononane-3,5,7-trionato)dicopper(II) etherate (3) and bis[3-(4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-3-oxide-1-oxyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-2-yl)pyridine]-bis (μ₂-1,1,2,2,8,8,9,9-octafluorononane-3,5,7-trionato)dicopper(II) (4) molecules. Each Cu atom of the dinuclear chelate fragment coordinates one paramagnetic ligand through the N atom of the pyrazole or pyridine fragment, respectively. In complex 3, the paramagnetic ligands are located on one side of the plane of the chelate fragment, whereas the ligands in complex 4 are located above and below the plane of the chelate fragment. The magnetic properties of complexes 3 and 4 are determined by dominant antiferromagnetic exchange interactions between the unpaired electrons of the Cu^II atoms in the dinuclear Cu₂L₂ moiety. Dedicated to Academician O. M. Nefedov on the occasion of his 75th birthday. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 11, pp. 1836–1840, November, 2006.     

Syntheses and Study of a Pyrroline Nitroxide Condensed Phospholene Oxide and a Pyrroline Nitroxide Attached Diphenylphosphine

The reaction of a diene nitroxide precursor with dichlorophenylphosphine in a McCormac procedure afforded 1,1,3,3-tetramethyl-5-phenyl-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexahydrophospholo[3,4-c]pyrrole-5-oxide-2-oxyl. Lithiation of the protected 3-iodo-pyrroline nitroxide followed by treatment with chlorodiphenylphosphine after deprotection afforded (1-oxyl-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-2,5-dihydro-1H-pyrrol-3-yl)diphenylphosphine oxide, and after reduction, (1-oxyl-2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-2,5-dihydro-1H-pyrrol-3-yl)diphenylphosphine was realized, which was also supported by X-ray single crystal diffraction measurements. This pyrroline diphenylphosphine derivative was converted to hexadecylphosphonium salt, which is an analogue of antineoplastic agent, MITO-CP.     

Shift of stereochemical nonrigidity from coordination units to polymethylene fragments in heterospin copper(<Emphasis Type="SmallCaps">II</Emphasis>) hexafluoroacetylacetonate complexes with nitronyl nitroxide biradicals

The reactions of bis(hexafluoroacetylacetonato)copper(II) [Cu(hfac)₂] with the nitronyl nitroxide biradicals bis[4-(4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-3-oxide-1-oxyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-2-yl)pyrazol-1-yl]alkanes (L⁶, L¹⁰, and L¹²) produced the framework heterospin complex [Cu(hfac)₂]₂L⁶ and the layer-polymeric heterospin complexes [Cu(hfac)₂]₂L¹⁰ and {[Cu(hfac)₂]₂L¹²} [Cu(hfac)₂(PrⁱOH)₂], respectively. In the solid state of these compounds, the stereochemical nonrigidity is manifested as a deformation of the polymethylene fragments-(CH₂)_n-. Dedicated to Academician G. A. Abakumov on the occasion of his 70th birthday. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 9, pp. 1732–1741, September, 2007.     

Syntheses and structures of azol-1-yl derivatives of nitronyl and imino nitroxides

2-(Pyrazol-1-yl)-, 2-(imidazol-1-yl)-, 2-([1,2,4]triazol-1-yl)-, and 2-(benzotriazol-1-yl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazole-3-oxide-1-oxyl were prepared by reactions of 2-bromo-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazole-3-oxide-1-oxyl (NIT-Br) with the corresponding sodium azolides. In prepared 2-(azol-1-yl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazole-3-oxide-1-oxyls, the NIT-N_Het bond is readily hydrolyzed. Reduction of imidazole-3-oxide-1-oxyls leads to corresponding 2-(azol-1-yl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazole-1-oxyls, which are much more stable against hydrolysis. The structures of spin-labeled imidazoles, [1,2,4]triazoles and benzotriazoles are confirmed by X-ray analysis, showing that the paramagnetic molecules form packings with motifs from centrosymmetric dimers to topologically linear chains.     

Synthesis,structure and magnetic properties of a Pr(III) complex with chelating nitronyl nitroxide radicals

The synthesis and structure of Pr(III) complex with chelating nitronyl nitroxide radicals of formula [Pr(III)(NIT2Py)₂(NO₃)₃] (NIT2Py?=?2-(2′-pyridyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide) is reported. Pr(III) is ten-coordinate with three bidentate nitrate anions and two radicals. The radical behaves as a bidentate chelating ligand through one oxygen atom of the nitronyl nitroxide group and one nitrogen atom of a pyridine ring. The electronic spectrum for the complex in THF and magnetic susceptibilities from 77–300?K are reported.     

Key influence of the nature of the substituent in the propynal molecule on the outcome of its reaction with vicinal di(<Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-hydroxyamine)

The reaction of propynals X-C≡C-CHO, where X = Alk or Ar, with 2,3-di(N-hydroxyamino)-2,3-dimethylbutane gives exclusively 1-X-2-(1-hydroxy-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazolidin-2-ylidene)ethanones. In the case of X = Me₃Si, the reaction affords 2-(2-trimethylsilylethynyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazolidine-1,3-diol. The reaction of propynal containing X = Et₃Ge yields both types of the products. The resulting imidazolidine-1,3-diol can be quantitatively isomerized to imidazolidin-2-ylideneethanone, oxidized to 2-[2-(triethylgermyl)ethynyl]-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazole-3-oxide-1-oxyl, or transformed into ethynyl-substituted nitronyl nitroxide. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 3, pp. 588–594, March, 2008.     

Syntheses, crystal structures, and magnetic properties of two monometallic tri-spin complexes involving nitronyl nitroxide radicals-lanthanide ions

Two new lanthanide-radical complexes [Ln(Hfac)₃(NIT-4PhAllO)₂](Ln(III) = Gd (I), Tb (II); Hfac = hexafluoroacetylacetonate; NIT-4PhAllO = 4′-allyloxyphenyl-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide) have been prepared and characterized in structurally as well as magnetically. Single crystal X-ray diffraction analyses reveal that two complexes are isostructural with mononuclear tri-spin structure, in which the metal ions are eight-coordinated in distorted dodecahedron geometry. The nitronyl nitroxide radicals act as monodentate ligands towards Ln(Hfac)₃ unit through the oxygen atom of the nitronyl nitroxide group. Magnetic studies reveal that the Gd-coordinated nitroxide interaction is ferromagnetic.     

Synthesis and study of Cu<Superscript>II</Superscript> complex with nitroxide,a jumping crystal analog

We synthesized 1-ethylimidazolyl-substituted nitronyl nitroxides, i.e., 2-(1-ethylimidazol-4-yl)- (L^4Et) and 2-(1-ethylimidazol-5-yl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazole 3-oxide-1-oxyl (L^5Et). The stable radical L^5Et is an ethyl analog of 2-(1-methylimidazol-5-yl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazole 3-oxide-1-oxyl (L^5Me) described earlier, the reaction of which with Cu(hfac)₂ (hfac is 1,1,1,5,5,5-hexafluoropentane-2,4-dionate) leads to the formation of the [Cu(hfac)₂(L^5Me)₂] jumping crystals. The reaction of Cu(hfac)₂ with L^5Et with reagent ratios 1: 2 and 1: 1 yields heterospin complexes [Cu(hfac)₂(L^5Et)₂] and [Cu(hfac)₂L^5Et]₂, respectively. X-ray diffraction study of the mononuclear complex [Cu(hfac)₂(L^5Et)₂] determined that the compound has a packing similar to that of jumping crystals studied earlier, with the only difference being that the O...O contacts between neigh- boring nitroxide groups were found to be 0.3—0.5 Å longer than in [Cu(hfac)₂(L^5Me)₂]. As a result of the lengthening of these contacts, [Cu(hfac)₂(L^5Et)₂] crystals lack chemomechanical activi- ty. We found that when cooling crystals of binuclear complex [Cu(hfac)₂L^5Et]₂ below 50 K, the antiferromagnetic exchange between unpaired electrons of the >N—?O groups of neighboring molecules leads to the full spin-pairing of the nitroxides, with only the Cu²⁺ ions contributing to the residual paramagnetism of the compound.     

A mercury(II)-radical complex with a 1D ladder structure

Interaction of HgI₂ with a new long rigid nitronyl nitroxide radical ligand, 2-[4-(2-pyridin-4-yl-vinyl)phenyl]-4,4,5,5-tetramethylimidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide (L), leads to the formation of the mercury-radical complex [Hg₂I₄L₂] _n (1). The single crystal structure analysis reveals that 1 exhibits a one-dimensional (1D) ladder structure. Magnetic susceptibility data of 1 were simulated by a uniform chain model composed of the NIT–NIT dimers, indicating that there exist an antiferromagnetic exchange between the nitroxides within the dimer (J ₁ = ?8.41 cm^?1) and a very weak interdimer antiferromagnetic interaction (J _c = ?0.39 cm^?1).