Highly Electron‐Deficient and Air‐Stable Conjugated Thienylboranes

Introduced herein is a series of conjugated thienylboranes, which are inert to air and moisture, and even resist acids and strong bases. X‐ray analyses reveal a coplanar arrangement of the thiophene rings, an arrangement which facilitates p–π conjugation through the boron atoms despite the presence of highly bulky 2,4,6‐tri‐tert‐butylphenyl (Mes*) or 2,4,6‐tris(trifluoromethyl)phenyl (^FMes) groups. Short B???F contacts, which lead to a pseudotrigonal bipyramidal geometry in the ^FMes species, have been further studied by DFT and AIM analysis. In contrast to the Mes* groups, the highly electron‐withdrawing ^FMes groups do not diminish the Lewis acidity of boron toward F^? anions. These compounds can be lithiated or iodinated under electrophilic conditions without decomposition, thus offering a promising route to larger conjugated structures with electron‐acceptor character.     

Distance‐Dependent Attractive and Repulsive Interactions of Bulky Alkyl Groups

The stabilizing and destabilizing effects of alkyl groups on an aromatic stacking interaction were experimentally measured in solution. The size (Me, Et, iPr, and tBu) and position (meta and para) of the alkyl groups were varied in a molecular balance model system designed to measure the strength of an intramolecular aromatic interaction. Opposite stability trends were observed for alkyl substituents at different positions on the aromatic rings. At the closer meta‐position, smaller groups were stabilizing and larger groups were destabilizing. Conversely, at the farther para‐position, the larger alkyl groups were systematically more stabilizing with the bulky tBu group forming the strongest stabilizing interaction. X‐ray crystal structures showed that the stabilizing interactions of the small meta‐alkyl and large para‐alkyl groups were due to their similar distances and van der Waals contact areas with the edge of opposing aromatic ring.     

Preparation and Acid‐Responsive Photophysical Properties of T‐Shaped π‐Conjugated Molecules Containing a Benzimidazole Junction

T‐shaped π‐conjugated molecules with an N‐methyl‐benzimidazole junction have been synthesized and their acid‐responsive photophysical properties owing to the change in the π‐conjugation system are discussed. T‐shaped π‐conjugated molecules consist of two orthogonal π‐conjugated systems including a phenyl thiophene extended from the 2‐position and alkyl phenylenes connected through various π‐spacers from the 4,7‐positions of the N‐methyl‐benzimidazole junction. The π‐spacers, such as thiophene, ethyne, and ethane, have an effect on the acid response of photophysical properties in terms of changes in conformation, excited‐state energy and charge‐transfer (CT) characteristics. In particular, the π‐conjugated molecule with ethynyl spacers exhibited a marked redshift in the fluorescence spectrum with a large Stokes shift upon the addition of acid, whereas the other molecules showed substantial quenching. The redshift in emission was studied in detail by temperature‐dependent fluorescence measurements, which indicated the transition to a CT state over the finite activation energy at the excited state. The change in the frontier molecular orbitals upon acid addition was further discussed by means of DFT calculations.     

Catenation of 1,3‐Diphosphacyclobutane‐2,4‐diyl Units Having 2,4,6‐Tri‐tert‐butylphenyl Protecting Groups and a P‐sec‐Butyl Group in the Ring

Two and three stable 1‐sec‐butyl‐2,4‐bis(2,4,6‐tri‐tert‐butylphenyl)‐1,3‐diphosphacyclobutane‐2,4‐diyl units were catenated to construct multi‐biradical derivatives by utilizing 1,3‐di‐, 1,4‐di‐, and 1,3,5‐trimethylenebenzenes as bridging groups, respectively. UV/Vis spectroscopic and cyclovoltammetric (CV) properties of the multi‐biradicals indicate a non‐conjugative interaction between the concatenated biradical units.     

Synthesis and Application of a Bidentate Ligand Based on Decafluoro‐3‐phenyl‐3‐pentanol: Steric Effect of Pentafluoroethyl Groups on the Stereomutation of O‐Equatorial C‐Apical Spirophosphoranes

1,1,1,2,2,4,4,5,5,5‐Decafluoro‐3‐phenyl‐3‐pentanol was prepared by a Cannizzaro‐type disproportionation reaction, and the dimetallated compound was used as a bidentate ligand, which is bulkier than the Martin ligand (1,1,1,3,3,3‐hexafluoro‐2‐phenyl‐2‐propanol). A P? H spirophosphorane was synthesized by utilizing the new bidentate ligand, and the structure of the product was essentially the same as that of the P? H phosphorane with Martin ligands. Phosphoranes that exhibit reversed apicophilicity (O‐equatorial) were also synthesized and could be converted into the corresponding stable stereoisomers (O‐apical). The crystal structures of O‐equatorial phosphoranes and the O‐apical isomers were slightly affected by the steric repulsion of pentafluoroethyl groups. Kinetic measurements revealed that the stereomutation of O‐equatorial methylphosphorane to the O‐apical isomer was slowed. The activation enthalpy for the stereomutation of the former to the latter was higher than that of the phosphorane with Martin ligands by 5.1 kcal mol^?1.     

α‐Oligofurans: An Emerging Class of Conjugated Oligomers for Organic Electronics

While the field of organic electronics has developed extensively in recent years, it remains limited by number of materials available. Further expansion requires the innovation of new types of π‐conjugated backbones, but suitable candidates are discovered only very rarely. The recent introduction of a new class of conjugated materials, long α‐oligofurans, was therefore greeted with considerable interest. α‐Oligofurans possess many of the properties required to excel in applications as organic electronic materials, can be manufactured from renewable resources, and are expected to be biodegradable. This Minireview provides an account of long oligofurans from the perspectives of their synthesis, molecular properties, chemical reactivity, and use in electronic devices.     

Tuning the Triplet–Triplet Energy Transfer Between Phthalocyanine and Carotenoid by Methyl Groups on the Conjugated Chain

Mimicking light‐harvesting and photoprotective processes of natural photosynthesis by artificial supramolecular systems is of considerable interest for artificial photosynthesis. The authors of the highlighted paper report on synthesis and spectroscopic characterization of a novel Pd‐phthalocyanine–carotenoid dyads that allow to directly follow the triplet–triplet energy transfer between Pd‐phthalocyanine and carotenoid. Unexpectedly, the T‐T energy transfer does not follow the dependence on conjugation length of the acceptor carotenoid. Instead, the donor–acceptor coupling and resulting T‐T energy transfer rate is controlled by the presence or absence of a methyl groups on the conjugated chain in the vicinity of the carotenoid keto‐oxygen. This reveals yet another level of tuning the spectroscopic properties of carotenoids having a conjugated keto group in their structure, underlining their potential for tailoring specific supramolecular complexes carrying out either light‐harvesting or photoprotective functions.     

Tuning Optical Properties of Si Quantum Dots by π‐Conjugated Capping Molecules

The absorption and photoluminescence (PL) properties of silicon quantum dots (QDs) are greatly influenced by their size and surface chemistry. Herein, we examined the optical properties of three Si QDs with increasing σ–π conjugation length: octyl‐, (trimethylsilyl)vinyl‐, and 2‐phenylvinyl‐capped Si QDs. The PL photon energy obtained from as‐prepared samples decreased by 0.1–0.3 eV, while the PL excitation (PLE) extended from 360 nm (octyl‐capped Si QDs) to 400 nm (2‐phenylvinyl‐capped Si QDs). A vibrational PL feature was observed in all samples with an energy separation of about 0.192±0.013 eV, which was explained based on electron–phonon coupling. After soft oxidization through drying, all samples showed blue PL with maxima at approximately 410 nm. A similar high‐energy peak was observed with the bare Si QD sample. The changes in the optical properties of Si QDs were mainly explained by the formation of additional states arising from the strong σ–π conjugation and QD oxidation.     

Steric effect and mobility of the alkyl chain in regio‐irregular poly‐3‐alkylthiophenes

The physicochemical properties of polyalkylthiophenes with various side‐chain length were widely investigated in order to reveal the functions of alkyl side‐chains in these polymers. The effects of the side‐chains on the properties of polyalkylthiophenes can be explained by their steric hindrance and mobility. The steric hindrance of alkyl chain affected not only the polymerization mechanism of the monomers but also the redox potential, interchain distance, charge transport properties, and film morphology. The mobility of the side‐chain influences the rate of dedoping, heat of transitions of polymers. The structure regio‐regularity, stability of polarons/bipolarons, film morphologies, and interchain interactions determine the optical and electric properties of polyalkylthiophenes. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci B: Polym Phys 37: 1763–1772, 1999     

Conjugated Dienyne‐Imides as Robust Precursors of 1‐Azatrienes for 6π Electrocyclizations to Furo[2,3‐b]dihydropyridine Cores

A novel strategy to generate functionalized 1‐azatriene intermediates for 6π electrocyclizations was developed by using readily accessible dienyne‐imides and various terminal olefins under Pd^II catalysis. Taking advantage of the sequential cooperation between preloaded and incorporated functional handles at 1,3‐dien‐5‐yne skeletons, this method not only enables the selective generation of putative 1‐azatrienes but significantly accelerates their thermal 6π‐electrocyclic ring‐closure processes to a series of highly substituted furo[2,3‐b]dihydropyridine derivatives in good yields.     

Synthesis,Photophysics and Nonlinear Optical Properties of Stilbenoid Pyrimidine‐Based Dyes Bearing Methylenepyran Donor Groups

The nonlinear properties and the photophysical behavior of two π‐conjugated chromophores that incorporate an electron‐deficient pyrimidine core (A) and γ‐methylenepyrans as terminal donor (D) groups have been thoroughly investigated. Both dipolar and quadrupolar branching strategies are explored and rationalized on the basis of the Frenkel exciton model. Even though a cooperative effect is clearly observed if the dimensionality is increased, the nonlinear optical (NLO) response of this series is moderate if one considers the nature of the D/A couple and the size of the chromophores (as measured by the number of π electrons). This effect was attributed to a disruption in the electronic conjugation within the dyes’ scaffold for which the geometry deviates from planarity owing to a noticeable twisting of the pyranylidene end‐groups. This latter structural parameter also has a strong influence on the excited‐state dynamics, which leads to a very efficient fluorescence quenching.     

Tuning the Electronic Properties and Acid‐Response Behavior of N‐Heteroacene‐Based π‐Conjugated Liquids by Changing the Number of π‐Conjugated Substituents

We have designed and synthesized two room‐temperature‐fluorescent π‐conjugated liquids based on the N‐heteroacene framework ( 1 and 2 ). These two π‐conjugated liquids, which contained one and two thiophene rings, respectively, exhibited different electronic properties and rheology behaviors. Single‐crystal X‐ray analysis of dithiophene‐appended compound 4 revealed that two thiophene rings hindered the interactions of the imino N atoms with acids through the formation of interactions between the S atoms of the thiophene rings and the imino N atoms of the pyrazine group. On the other hand, monothiophene‐appended molecules 1 and 3 each contained an unhindered imino N atom on the opposite site to the thiophene ring. Upon dissolving various acids with different pK_a values in compounds 1 and 2 , these slight structural differences gave rise to marked differences in their acid‐response behaviors, thereby resulting in the emission of variously colored fluorescence in the liquid state. Furthermore, when acids with lower pK_a values was dissolved in compounds 1 and 2 , phase transition occurred from an isotropic liquid state to a self‐organized liquid‐crystalline phase.     

Birch reduction of hexaphenyl- and pentaphenylbenzene and an X-ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy study of cis- and epi-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexaphenylcyclohexane and of 2,3,5,6-tetraphenyl-1,1'-bicyclohexylidene: Cannizzaro's conundrum revisited

The Birch reduction of hexaphenylbenzene yields two isomers of 1,2,3,4,5,6-hexaphenylcyclohexane. The X-ray crystal structure of the all-cis isomer, 1, reveals that the severe steric crowding among the three axial phenyls is alleviated by a marked splaying out of those three aryl substituents relative to the positioning in a conventional chair structure. A second product, 2, was identified crystallographically and by NMR spectroscopy as the 1,3-diaxial-2,4,5,6-tetraequatorial (epi) isomer of hexaphenylcyclohexane, in which only five of the six additional hydrogen atoms are positioned on the same face of the C(6)Ph(6) precursor. A variable-temperature NMR study of the all-cis isomer 1 yielded a chair-to-chair inversion barrier of approximately 19 kcal mol(-1), which is somewhat higher than the previously reported values for all-cis-1,2,3,4,5,6-C(6)H(6)R(6) in which R=Me or CO(2)Me. The possible relevance to Cannizzaro's 1854 report of a product with the formula (C(7)H(6))(n) is discussed. By contrast, Birch reduction of pentaphenylbenzene led to the formation of 2,3,5,6-tetraphenyl-1,1'-bicyclohexylidene.