二（2,6-二甲基-4-甲氧基）苯基卡宾的产生和反应

为了考察卡宾稳定性的电子效应,合成了对位具有强推电性甲氧基的二（2, 6-二甲基-4-甲氧基）苯基重氮甲烷(1c),通过光分解而产生了二（2,6-二甲基- 4-甲氧基）苯基卡宾(2c)。分别用电子顺磁共振（EPR）光谱,紫外可见(UV/vis) 光谱及激光闪光光分解法对二（2,6-二甲基-4-甲氧基）苯基卡宾(2c)的产生和衰 减过程进行了详细的观察。由于甲氧基的强推电子作用使二苯基卡宾的稳定性大大 降低,其二次动力学衰减速度常数为130s~(-1),是对位非取代二苯基卡宾(2b) (14s~(-1))的约9倍,且室温苯溶液中的寿命为20ms,仅为2b(180ms)的1/9。且通过 产物分析对二（2,6-二甲基-4-甲氧基）苯基卡宾(2c)的反应及甲氧基的取代基效 应进行了详细探讨。     

Generation, characterization, and kinetics of triplet Di[1,2,3,4,5,6, 7,8-octahydro-1,4:5,8-di(ethano)anthryl]carbene

The title carbene has been generated by photolysis of the corresponding diazo precursors and studied by spectroscopic means, i. e., electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and UV/vis spectroscopy in matrixes at low temperature and laser-flash photolysis in solution at room temperature, with the product analysis. The results are compared with triplet di(2,3,5,6-tetramethylphenyl)carbene, an open-chain counterpart, which revealed that bicycloalkyl groups are acting as a fairly good kinetic protector for the triplet carbene as opposed to the open-chain counterpart. The formation of all-hydrocarbon triplet carbenes having a half-life over a second under normal conditions was realized for the first time. Effects of para-substituents on the structure and reactivities of the carbene are also investigated and discussed in terms of polar and spin electronic effects.     

Emission spectroscopic investigation of triplet diarylcarbene generated in molecular sieve VPI-5

We report an attempt to generate and characterize a triplet carbene, bis(2,4,6-trichlorophenyl)carbene ((3)1), in zeolites Y and L and in a molecular sieve VPI-5 in which a possible dimerization and reaction with the precursor of carbene are significantly retarded, thus making the triplet carbene longer lived than in solution at room temperature. The adsorption of a corresponding diazomethane (1-N(2)), the precursor of 1, was carefully examined by comparing the absorption spectrum after adsorption with that of 1-N(2) in n-pentane, which revealed that 1-N(2) was adsorbed with the diazo group intact only in VPI-5, while in other zeolites 1-N(2) was found to be decomposed upon adsorption. This difference in reactivity of the hosts was ascribed to the absence of Br?nsted-acid sites in VPI-5. The photoirradiation of 1-N(2) in VPI-5 at 77 K was monitored by emission spectroscopy, which revealed that bis(2,4,6-trichlorophenyl)methyl radical (1-H) was produced as the only detectable species under these conditions. This is interpreted as indicating that nascent (3)1 may undergo efficient hydrogen abstraction as a result of multiple excitation by repeated refraction and reflection of the light in a light-scattering medium. In accord with this interpretation, the emission due to (3)1 was observed when irradiation was carried out on a translucent glassy sample prepared by submerging VPI-5 incorporating 1-N(2) in a refractive-index-matching fluid such as propylene glycol or glycerol. ESR signals ascribable to (3)1 were also observed under these conditions. Laser photolysis of 1-N(2) in VPI-5 at room temperature with fast detection of both emission and absorption showed that the bands due to 1-H were detected in the nanosecond time regime probably because of the extremely fast H abstraction by (3)1. However, a variable-temperature ESR study showed that the signals due to (3)1 survive up to 220 K in VPI-5 while the signals disappear at 120 K in 2-methyltetrahydrofuran, suggesting that triplet carbene is stabilized in VPI-5. Thus, a triplet carbene was generated and characterized in a zeolite for the first time and shown to be stabilized extrinsically. The present study also proposes a solution to the issues of acidic sites and multiple excitation often observed in zeolites.     

Triplet diphenylcarbenes protected by (trimethylsilyl)ethynyl groups

(2,4,6-Tribromophenyl)(4-tert-butyl-2,6-dimethylphenyl)diazomethane (1a) was shown to be stable enough to survive Sonogashira coupling reaction conditions at an elevated temperature and gave not only a para-monosubstituted product, (4-trimethylsilylethynyl-2,6-dibromophenyl)(4-tert-butyl-2,6-dimethylphenyl)diazomethane (1b), but also a disubstituted one, [2,4-bis(trimethylsilylethynyl)-6-bromophenyl](4-tert-butyl-2,6-dimethylphenyl)diazomethane (1c), and a trisubstituted product, [2,4,6-tris(trimethylsilylethynyl)phenyl](4-tert-butyl-2,6-dimethylphenyl)diazomethane (1d). Triplet diphenylcarbenes (DPCs) generated by photolysis of those ethynylated diphenyldiazomethanes were characterized by ESR and UV-vis spectroscopies at low temperature and laser flash photolysis techniques in solution at room temperature. Although ESR data indicated that ethynyl groups at the ortho positions are likely to stabilize triplet DPCs both sterically and electronically more effectively than o-bromine groups, kinetic studies suggested that the stability of triplet DPCs is not increased by o-ethynyl groups, as opposed to o-bromine groups. It is likely that triplet DPCs decay by interacting with the o-ethynyl groups.     

Structure determination of triplet diphenylcarbenes by in situ X-ray crystallographic analysis

Crystalline-state photoreactions of the following diphenyldiazomethanes were investigated by in situ X-ray crystallography, spectroscopy, and theoretical calculations: bis(2,4,6-trichlorophenyl)diazomethane (1-N2), bis(2,4,6-tribromophenyl)diazomethane (2-N2), bis(2,6-dibromo-4-methylphenyl)diazomethane (3-N2), bis(2,6-dibromo-4-tert-butylphenyl)diazomethane (4-N2), (2,4,6-tribromophenyl)-(2,6-dimethyl-4-tert-butylphenyl)diazomethane (5-N2), bis(4-bromophenyl)diazomethane(6-N2), and diazofluorene (7-N2). Crystal structures of photoinduced triplet diphenylcarbenes (DPCs) of 1, 2, and 4 were determined. We found remarkable differences between their structural information obtained in the crystalline state and that previously obtained spectroscopically in a glass matrix. Although the triplet DPCs of 1, 2, and 4 have significantly different stabilities in solution, only subtle differences in their structural parameters, except for their C(:)-Ar bond lengths, are observed. It is noteworthy that the average bond length of C(:)-Ar for 4 (1.374 A) is considerably shorter than those for (3)1 and (3)2 (1.430 and 1.428 A, respectively), provided that the two C(:)-Ar bonds being compared were chemically equivalent. The most likely explanations for the small and large differences in bond lengths in 1, 2, and 4 may be derived from the packing effect. The packing patterns of 1 and 2 are identical, but that of 4 is totally different from those of 1 and 2. Moreover, these results are interpreted as indicating that triplet DPCs undergo relaxation upon softening of the environments. Theoretical calculations indicate that the potential energy surface of triplet DPCs in terms of the carbene angle is extremely flat and changes in the angles have little effect on the energies. Triplet DPCs with a sterically congested carbene center are trapped in a structure dictated by the precursor structure in a rigid matrix, even if this is not the thermodynamically most stable geometry, but undergo geometrical relaxation upon softening the matrix to relieve steric compression. ESR studies indicate that the interplanar angles are more flexible than the bond angles.     

Electron delocalization in a ruthenium(II) Bis(2,2':6',2' '-terpyridyl) complex

Photophysical properties have been recorded for a ruthenium(II) bis(2,2':6',2' '-terpyridine) complex bearing a single ethynylene substituent. The target compound is weakly emissive in fluid solution at room temperature, but both the emission yield and lifetime increase dramatically as the temperature is lowered. As found for the unsubstituted parent complex, the full temperature dependence indicates that the lowest-energy triplet state couples to two higher-energy triplets and to the ground state. Luminescence occurs only from the lowest-energy triplet state, but the radiative and nonradiative decay rates indicate that electron delocalization occurs at the triplet level. Comparison of the target compound with the parent complex indicates that the ethynylene group reduces the size of the electron-vibrational coupling element for nonradiative decay of the lowest-energy triplet state. Although other factors are affected by substitution, this is by far the most important feature with regard to stabilization of the triplet state.     

Triplet diphenylcarbenes protected by trifluoromethyl and bromine groups. A triplet carbene surviving a day in solution at room temperature

Two types of diphenyldiazomethanes having two trifluoromethyl and two bromine groups at the ortho positions, either in unsymmetrical or in symmetrical fashion, that is, (2,6-dibromo-4-phenylphenyl)[4-phenyl-2,6-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]diazomethane (U-1-N2) and bis(2-bromo-4-phenyl-6-trifluoromethylphenyl)diazomethane (S-1-N2), are prepared. Triplet diphenylcarbenes (U-(3)1 or S-(3)1) are generated from those precursors and are characterized by ESR, UV/vis spectroscopy at low temperature, as well as time-resolved UV/vis spectroscopy at room temperature. Those carbenes are shown to be at least 2 orders of magnitude less reactive than the most stable triplet diphenylcarbene thus far known, that is, bis(2,6-dibromo-4-phenylphenyl)carbene. It has been also shown that S-(3)1 is significantly more stable than U-(3)1 even though both have the same two kinds of substituents. It is suspected that the perpendicular alignment of the two most bulky groups is a more effective way to shield the carbenic center than the planar one. By this way, triplet substituted diphenylcarbene surviving nearly a day in solution at room temperature is realized for the first time.     

三线态二苯基卡宾的动力学稳定效应

通过对二苯基重氮甲烷进行光照射产生了一系列于邻位和对位具有不同大小取代基的三线态二苯基卡宾.用紫外可见光谱对其进行了直接观察,并利用激光闪光光解法测定了三线态二苯基卡宾在室温脱氧苯溶液中的寿命,由此表明在邻位和对位里引入庞大的取代基对三线态二苯基卡宾具有更好的稳定效应.     

Preparation of copper ion complexes of sterically congested diaryldiazomethanes having a pyridine ligand and characterization of their photoproducts

To realize fairly stable high-spin polycarbenes by utilizing heterospin systems comprising 2p spins of organic radicals and 3d spins of magnetic metal ions, we prepared dianthryldiazomethanes having two pyridyl groups at the 2,2'- or 2,7-positions, that is, bis[10-(4-tert-butyl-2,6-dimethylphenyl)-2-(4-pyridyl)-9-anthryl]diazomethane (2,2'-DPy-1-N(2)) and [10-(4-tert-butyl-2,6-dimethylphenyl)-9-anthryl][(10-(4-tert-butyl-2,6-dimethylphenyl)-2,7-di(4-pyridyl)-9-anthryl]diazomethane (2,7-DPy-1-N(2)). The triplet carbene DPy-(3)1 generated by photolysis of DPy-1-N(2) was characterized by ESR and UV-vis spectroscopy in a matrix at low temperature as well as by time-resolved UV-vis in solution at room temperature. The results showed that the triplet carbene DPy-(3)1 was destabilized to some extent as opposed to the parent triplet carbene before pyridination, but it was still fairly persistent, having a half-life of more than 30 min in solution at room temperature. Photoproducts from the complex between DPy-1-N(2) and Cu(hfac)(2) were characterized in a similar manner, and the results suggested that the generated carbene centers interacted magnetically with the Cu(II) ion to form a high-spin species with significant thermal stability. The fact that no significant signals due to the isolated triplet carbene DPy-(3)1 were observed suggested that the pyridine moiety binds with Cu(hfac)(2) in a nearly quantitative manner under these cryogenic conditions. Magnetic measurements of the photoproduct using a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magneto/susceptometer were performed to determine the spin state of the complex. The temperature dependence of the molar paramagnetic susceptibility indicated the presence of ferromagnetic interaction. The field dependences of magnetization for the complexes, expressed using M versus H/T plots, were analyzed in terms of the two-component Brillouin function to be S = 3.18 (F = 0.66) and S = 0.02 (F = 0.23) for the 1:1 complex of 2,7-DPy-1 and Cu(hfac)(2) and S = 2.70 (F = 0.33) and S = 0.49 (F = 0.11) for the 1:1 complex of 2,2'-DPy-1 and Cu(hfac)(2).     

Photophysical properties of binuclear ruthenium(ii) bis(2,2':6',2''-terpyridine) complexes built around a central 2,2'-bipyrimidine receptor

A binuclear complex has been synthesized having ruthenium(ii) bis(2,2':6',2'-terpyridine) terminals attached to a central 2,2'-bipyrimidine unit via ethynylene groups. Cyclic voltammetry indicates that the substituted terpyridine is the most easily reduced subunit and the main chromophore involves charge transfer from the metal centre to this ligand. The resultant metal-to-ligand, charge-transfer (MLCT) triplet state is weakly emissive and has a lifetime of 60 ns in deoxygenated solution at room temperature. The luminescence yield and lifetime increase with decreasing temperature in a manner that indicates the lowest-energy MLCT triplet couples to at least two higher-energy triplets. Cations can bind to the central bipyrimidine unit, forming both 1:1 and 1:2 (ligand:metal) complexes as confirmed by electrospray MS analysis. The photophysical properties depend on the number of bound cations and on the nature of the cation. In the specific case of binding zinc(ii) cations, the 1:1 complex has a triplet lifetime of 8.0 ns while that of the 1:2 complex is 1.8 ns. The 1:1 complexes formed with Ba(2+) and Mg(2+) are more luminescent than is the parent compound while the 1:2 complexes are much less luminescent. It is shown that the coordinated cations raise the reduction potential of the central bipyrimidine unit and thereby increase the activation energy for coupling with the metal-centred state. Complexation also introduces a non-emissive intramolecular charge-transfer (ICT) state that couples to the lowest-energy MLCT triplet and provides an additional non-radiative decay route. The triplet state of the 1:2 complex formed with added Zn(2+) cations decays preferentially via this ICT state.     

Preparation of oligodiazo compounds by using the suzuki coupling reaction and characterization of their photoproducts

[9-[10-(4-tert-Butyl-2,6-dimethyl)phenyl]anthryl](4-bromo-2,6-dimethylphenyl)diazomethane was found to be stable enough to survive under Suzuki coupling conditions and underwent mono-, di-, and trisubstitution with benzene mono-, di-, and triboronic acids to afford benzene derivatives having one, two, and three diazo units, respectively. The products from irradiation of those diazo compounds were characterized by ESR and SQUID measurements, which revealed that triplet, quintet, and septet ground states were formed from mono-, bis-, and tris(diazo) compounds, respectively. The stability of those high-spin species was estimated by temperature-dependent ESR and UV/vis measurements as well as laser flash photolysis, which indicated that all three species are stable up to 160 K and have a half-life of a few seconds in solution at room temperature. The finding unequivocally shows that a precursor diazo unit can basically be handled as a building block to construct ploydiazo compounds and that persistent triplet carbenes, even though they greatly lose typical reactivity as a triplet carbene, still retain electronic properties and act as a spin source when aligned properly in the pi-electron frameworks to generate a high-spin molecule with remarkable thermal stability.     

A triplet carbene surviving a week in solution at room temperature

A stable triplet carbene, having a lifetime at 25 degrees C of 14.5 days in a dilute benzene solution, was realized by simply changing the substituent at the 10 position of the previously most persistent carbene, di[9-(10-phenyl)anthryl]carbene, from a phenyl to a 2,6-dimethyl-4-tert-butylphenyl group.     

Effect of substituents on spectral,luminescent and time-resolved characteristics of 2,5-diarylidene derivatives of cyclopentanone

Spectral, luminescent and time-resolved characteristics of 2,5-dibenzylidenecyclopentanone and its symmetrical derivatives (bis(N,N-diethylamino-), dimethoxy-, tetramethoxy-, dimethylthio-, and bis-18- crown-6 derivative) have been studied in media of different polarity (cyclohexane, toluene, acetonitrile, DMSO, and methanol) at room temperature. The absorption maximum of dibenzylidenecyclopentanone shifts bathochromically by 15 nm with an increase in polarity of the medium (cyclohexane–methanol). The introduction of electron-donating substituents in the aromatic rings of dibenzylidenecyclopentanone also results in a bathochromic shift of the absorption maximum by 100–130 nm in the media of different polarity and shifts the fluorescence maximum by 130 nm relative to the maximum of the dimethoxy derivative. Upon laser irradiation of oxygen-free solutions of dibenzylidenecyclopentanone and its tetramethoxy- and bis-18-crown-6 derivatives in acetonitrile, the triplet state with a half-life time of 0.3–1 μs is generated. For dimethoxy-, dimethylthio-, tetramethoxy-, and bis-18-crown-6 derivatives of dibenzylidenecyclopentanone, the isomers with a lifetime of ~50 ms are formed.     

Singlet-triplet interconversion of diphenylmethylene. Energetics,dynamics and reactivities of different spin states

A combination of picosecond and nanosecond laser spectroscopy measurements, chemical quenching experiments and triplet sensitization experiments has allowed the determination of the rapid singlet to triplet and slower triplet to singlet intersystem crossing rates for diphenylmethylene in fluid solution at room temperature. It is shown that under the conditions of the kinetic measurements, singlet and triplet diphenylmethylene (¹DPM and ³DPM, respectively) are in rapid equilibrium relative to reactions, so that knowledge of the values of k_ST and k_TS allows determination of the equilibrium constant and change in free energy for the ¹DPM 〈 ³DPM process. The absolute reactivity of ¹DPM toward a series of alcohols has been determined and is discussed in terms of other current investigations of carbene reactivity.     

Generation,direct observation,and kinetics of triplet 9-(1,1,4,4,5,5,8,8-octamethyl-1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8-octahydro- anthryl)phenylcarbene

[structure: see text] Reactivities of the title triplet carbene were compared with those of the "untied" counterpart, [2,4,6-tris(tert)butylphenyl](phenyl)carbene. An appreciable increase in the stability of triplet carbene is noted by tuning the distance between the o-hydrogen and the carbene center.     

Reactions of carbenes in solidified organic molecules at low temperature

Studies on reactions of carbenes in reactive organic glasses at low temperatures clearly reveal that solution results and liquid phase mechanistic rules cannot be readily extrapolated to matrix conditions. Thus, the usual course of reaction of a carbene with an alkene in solution results in the formation of a cyclopropane for both the singlet and triplet states although a one-step addition possible for singlet carbene produces the cyclopropane stereospecifically and a stepwise pathway with the triplet state affords two possible stereoisomers of the cyclopropane. In a sharp contrast, the formal insertion products into the allylic C-H bonds of alkenes are produced at the expense of the cyclopropane when carbene is generated in alkene matrix at low temperature. Similar results are obtained in the reaction with alcohols, where the C-H insertion products are formed in low temperature alcoholic matrices at the expense of the O-H insertion products which are predominant products in the reaction with alcoholic solution at ambient temperature. The ¹³C labelling experiments as well as deuterium kinetic isotope effects suggest that these C-H insertion products are most probably produced from the triplet carbene, not from the singlet, by abstraction of H atom from the matrix followed by the recombination of the resulting radical pairs. Kinetic studies using ESR and laser flash photolysis techniques demonstrate that the mechanism of a H-atom transfer reaction changes from a completely classical process in a soft warm glass to a completely quantum mechanical tunneling process in a cold hard glass. Thus, as the reaction temperature is lowered, the classical reaction rate decreases, and eventually becomes much slower than decay by hydrogen atom tunneling. The members of the radical pairs which usually diffuse apart in a fluid solution are not able to diffuse apart owing to the limited diffusibility within a rigid matrix and therefore recombine with high efficiency to give the CH “insertion” products. A rather surprising and intriguing difference between the C-H insertion undergone by singlet carbenes in fluid solution at ambient temperatures and one by triplet carbenes in matrix at low temperature is noted. Thus, a marked increase in the primary and secondary C-H insertion over the tertiary is observed in the matrix reaction indicating that triplet carbenes tend to abstract H from less crowded C-H bonds. This is interpreted to indicate that the distance between carbenic center and tunneling H becomes important in H atom tunneling process. More surprisingly, the C-H insertion by triplet carbene by the abstraction-recombination mechanism in a rigid matrix proceeds with retention of the configuration, suggesting that the solid state prevents motion of the radicals to the extent that does not allow racemization to occur. Reactions with heteroatom substrates such as ethers, amines, alkyl halides and ketones are also subject to the matrix effects and the C-H insertion products increase at the expense of singlet carbene reaction products resulting from the interaction with the heteroatoms. Stereoselectivities of cyclopropanation to styrenes are also shown to be affected by the matrix effects. t-Butyl alcohol matrix is shown to be unreactive toward carbenes and thus can be used as a “solvent” in matrix carbene reactions presumably due to a large inert guest cavity provided by bulky tertiary alcohol which binds a molecular aggregate inside it. H atom tunneling in the matrix is also shown to compete with very efficient intramolecular migration of hydrogen to the carbenic center. Migration aptitude as well as stereochemistry are also found to be subject to the matrix effects.     

Tuning the excited-state energy of the organic chromophore in bichromophoric systems based on the Ru(II) complexes of tridentate ligands

A series of new heteroleptic and homoleptic Ru(II) complexes containing variously substituted bis(pyridyl)triazine ligands has been prepared and their absorption spectra, redox behaviour and luminescence properties (both in fluid solution at room temperature and in a rigid matrix at 77 K) have been investigated. For some compounds, X-ray structures have also been determined. The new bis(pyridyl)triazines incorporate additional chromophores, such as biphenyl, phenanthrene, anthracene and bromoanthracene derivatives, so the Ru(II) species can be considered as multichromophoric species. The absorption spectra and redox properties of all the metal complexes have been assigned to features belonging to specific subunits, thus suggesting that these species can be regarded as multicomponent, supramolecular assemblies from an electronic coupling point of view. Whereas most of the complexes exhibit luminescence properties that can be attributed to metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (MLCT) states involving the metal-based subunit(s), the species containing the anthryl and, even more, the brominated anthryl chromophores exhibit complicated luminescence behaviour. For example, 2 d (the anthryl-containing heteroleptic metal compound) exhibits MLCT emission at room temperature and emission from the anthracene triplet at 77 K; 2 e (the bromo-substituted anthryl-containing heteroleptic metal compound) exhibits anthryl-based emission at 77 K and MLCT emission at room temperature, but with a prolonged lifetime, thus suggesting equilibration between two triplet states that belong to different chromophores. The equilibration regime between MLCT and aromatic hydrocarbon triplet states is therefore reached by suitable substitution on the organic chromophore.     

A Stable Room‐Temperature Luminescent Biphenylmethyl Radical

There is only one family of room‐temperature luminescent radicals, the triphenylmethyl radicals, to date. Herein, we synthesize a new stable room‐temperature luminescent radical, (N‐carbazolyl)bis(2,4,6‐tirchlorophenyl)methyl radical (CzBTM), which has improved properties compared to the triphenylmethyl radicals. X‐ray crystallography, electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, and magnetic susceptibility measurements confirmed the radical structure. CzBTM shows room‐temperature deep‐red to near‐infrared emission in various solutions. Both thermal and photo stability were significantly enhanced by the replacement of trichlorobenzene by the carbazole moiety. The electroluminescence results of CzBTM verify its potential application to circumvent the problem of triplet harvesting in traditional fluorescent OLEDs. A new family of stable luminescent radicals based on CzBTM is anticipated.     

Preparation of bis(diazo) compounds incorporated into butadiyne and thiophene units, and generation and characterization of bis(carbene) from these compounds

[9-[10-(4-t-Butyl-2,6-dimethyl)phenyl]anthryl](4-bromo-2,6-dimethylphenyl)diazomethane (1-N(2)) was found to be stable enough to survive under Sonogashira and Suzuki coupling reaction conditions, and bis(diazo) compounds incorporated into the 1,4-positions of butadiyne (3-2N(2)) and the 2,5-position of thiophene (4-2N(2)) were prepared. Irradiation of those bis(diazo) compounds generated bis(carbenes), which were characterized by ESR and UV-vis spectroscopic techniques in a matrix at low temperature, as well as time-resolved UV-vis spectroscopy in solution at room temperature. These studies revealed that both of the bis(carbenes), 3 and 4, have a singlet quinoidal diradical ground state with a very small singlet-triplet energy gap of less than 1 kcal/mol. A remarkable increase in the lifetime of bis(carbenes) as opposed to that of monocarbene (1) was noted and was interpreted to indicate that bis(carbenes) are thermodynamically stabilized as a result of delocalization of unpaired electrons throughout a pi-net framework. Despite the stability, both bis(carbenes) are readily trapped by molecular oxygen to afford bis(ketones) as main products.     

Excited state behaviour of pentahelicene dinitriles

The excited singlet and triplet states 2,13-dicyano[5]helicene (1) and two para-dicyno[5]helicenes containing one and two methyl groups (2 and 3, respectively) were studied in solvents of different polarity as a function of temperature. Fluorescence quenching by electron donors such as triethyl amine indicated photoinduced electron transfer. In the absence of additives triplet states were observed by flash photolysis. The triplet lifetime at room temperature was rather short (<1 μs) and the decay limited by intramolecular processes, e.g. charge transfer in the cases of 2 or 3. Luminescence of singlet molecular oxygen, O₂(¹Δ_g), was observed with moderate and low quantum yield for 1 and 3, respectively. For 1–3, the triplet lifetime increases by six orders of magnitude on going to −196°C. Two subsequently formed triplet states were observed for 3 at lower temperatures. The effects of temperature and solvent polarity on the quantum yields of fluorescence and phosphorescence and the spectroscopic and kinetic triplet absorption properties were examined. The influence of substituents on the deactivation pathways of excited pentahelicenes are discussed.