The Role of Solvation in the Kinetics and the Mechanism of Hydroperoxide Radicals Addition to π‐Bonds of 1,2‐Diphenylethylene and 1,4‐Diphenylbutadiene‐1,3

A combination of microcalorimetry, the rotating sector method, and ESR at 323 K in the environment of 10 solvents of different polarities was used to measure rate constants of addition of hydroperoxide radicals () to π bonds of trans‐1,2‐diphenylethylene and trans,trans‐1,4‐diphenylbutadiene‐1,3 (k₂) and disproportionation rate constants of these radicals (k₃). With increasing dielectric constant of the medium, k₂ values increase from 69 to 410 M⁻¹ · s⁻¹, and k₃ values almost do not change and are in the range of (1.0 ± 0.2) × 10⁸ M⁻¹ · s⁻¹. A linear dependence of logarithm values of rate constants from the dielectric constant of the medium in the coordinates of the Kirkwood–Onsager equation was found that allows to make a conclusion about the effect of nonspecific solvation in the studied systems. The quantum‐chemical analysis (NWChem, DFT B3LYP/6‐311G**) of the detailed mechanism for addition shows that the influence of the medium polarity reflects the superposition of the effects of nonspecific and specific solvation. The scale of the polar effect will depend on how different solvation energies of the transition and the initial reaction complexes. If a value of the solvation energy of the transition complex is larger than the solvation energy of the initial reaction complex, then the reaction rate should increase with an increase of the solvent's polarity and decrease otherwise.     

Synthesis of π‐Functional Molecules through Oxidation of Aromatic Amines

In this review, we focus on the synthesis of π‐conjugated functional molecules by the oxidation of aromatic amines, which is one of the most effective methods for the construction of C?C, C?N, and N?N bonds between two π‐conjugated molecular units, and consider their characteristics and applications. Polyanilines are the most common products of the oxidation of aromatic amines; however, azobenzenes, phenazines, and 1,1′‐binaphthyl‐2,2′‐diamines may be produced in this manner also, depending on the reaction conditions. Recent advances in the methodology of aniline oxidation have led to the development of high‐regioselectivity industrial‐scale syntheses of optically or electroactive π‐functional dyes containing nitrogen atoms. In particular, the regioselective fusion of π‐extended aromatic amines can be used to prepare distorted π‐conjugated molecules under mild reaction conditions, allowing the construction of unprecedented curved nitrogen‐containing π‐conjugated molecules.     

Herringbone and Helical Self‐Assembly of π‐Conjugated Molecules in the Solid State through CH/π Hydrogen Bonds

Self‐organization of organic molecules through weak noncovalent forces such as CH/π interactions and creation of large hierarchical supramolecular structures in the solid state are at the very early stage of research. The present study reports direct evidence for CH/π interaction driven hierarchical self‐assembly in π‐conjugated molecules based on custom‐designed oligophenylenevinylenes (OPVs) whose structures differ only in the number of carbon atoms in the tails. Single‐crystal X‐ray structures were resolved for these OPV synthons and the existence of long‐range multiple‐arm CH/π interactions was revealed in the crystal lattices. Alignment of these π‐conjugated OPVs in the solid state was found to be crucial in producing either right‐handed herringbone packing in the crystal or left‐handed helices in the liquid‐crystalline mesophase. Pitch‐ and roll‐angle displacements of OPV chromophores were determined to trace the effect of the molecular inclination on the ordering of hierarchical structures. Furthermore, circular dichroism studies on the OPVs were carried out in the aligned helical structures to prove the existence of molecular self‐assembly. Thus, the present strategy opens up new approaches in supramolecular chemistry based on weak CH/π hydrogen bonding, more specifically in π‐conjugated materials.     

Quinoidal/Aromatic Transformations in π‐Conjugated Oligomers: Vibrational Raman studies on the Limits of Rupture for π‐Bonds

The vibrational Raman spectra of several series of aromatic and quinoidal compounds have been analyzed considering the downshifts and upshifts of the frequencies of the relevant Raman bands as a function of the number of repeating units. Oligothiophenes, oligophenylene‐vinylenes, and oligoperylenes (oligophenyls) derivatives are studied in a common context. These shifts are taken as spectroscopic fingerprints of the changes in π‐conjugation. For a given family, aromatic and quinoidal oligomers have been studied together, and according to their Raman frequency shifts located in the two‐well BLA–energy curve of their ground electronic state as a function of the bond‐length‐alternation pattern (BLA). The connection among BLA values, π‐conjugation, and Raman frequencies is taken here as the basis of the study. These Raman shifts/BLA changes have been related to important electronic properties of these one‐dimensional linear π‐electron delocalized systems such as quinoidal (polyene) and aromatic characters.     

Creating σ‐Holes through the Formation of Beryllium Bonds

Through the use of ab initio theoretical models based on MP2/aug‐cc‐pVDZ‐optimized geometries and CCSD(T)/aug‐cc‐pVTZ and CCSD(T)/aug‐c‐pVDZ total energies, it has been shown that the significant electron density rearrangements that follow the formation of a beryllium bond may lead to the appearance of a σ‐hole in systems that previously do not exhibit this feature, such as CH₃OF, NO₂F, NO₃F, and other fluorine‐containing systems. The creation of the σ‐hole is another manifestation of the bond activation–reinforcement (BAR) rule. The appearance of a σ‐hole on the F atoms of CH₃OF is due to the enhancement of the electronegativity of the O atom that participates in the beryllium bond. This atom recovers part of the charge transferred to Be by polarizing the valence density of the F into the bonding region. An analysis of the electron density shows that indeed this bond becomes reinforced, but the F atom becomes more electron deficient with the appearance of the σ‐hole. Importantly, similar effects are also observed even when the atom participating in the beryllium bond is not directly attached to the F atom, as in NO₂F, NO₃F, or NCF. Hence, whereas the isolated CH₃OF, NO₂F, and NO₃F are unable to yield F ??? Base halogen bonds, their complexes with BeX₂ derivatives are able to yield such bonds. Significant cooperative effects between the new halogen bond and the beryllium bond reinforce the strength of both noncovalent interactions.     

Luminescent Materials: Locking π‐Conjugated and Heterocyclic Ligands with Boron(III)

Multidisciplinary research on novel organic luminescent dyes is propelled by potential applications in plastic electronics and biomedical sciences. The construction of sophisticated fluorescent dyes around a tetrahedral boron(III) center is a particular approach that has fueled the creativity of chemists. Success in this enterprise has been readily achieved with simple synthetic protocols, the products of which display unusual spectroscopic behavior. This account is a critical review of recent advances in the field of boron(III) complexes (excluding BODIPYs and acetylacetonate boron complexes) involving species displaying similar coordination features, and we outline their potential development in several disciplines.     

FeCl3‐Catalyzed Addition of 1,3‐Dicarbonyl Compounds to Aromatic Olefins

A direct, intermolecular addition of 1,3‐dicarbonyl compounds to styrenes in the presence of FeCl₃ as an inexpensive and disposable catalyst has been developed for the straightforward and practical synthesis of arylated diketones and ketoesters. The reactions proceed under mild conditions for most substrates (50–80 °C), and no strong acid or base is required. The synthetic value of the method is demonstrated by 15 examples, including the synthesis of the current pharmaceutical drug warfarin in one step and 42 % yield from commercially available substrates.     

π–π Interactions Between Aromatic Groups in Amphiphilic Molecules: Directing Hierarchical Growth of Porous Zeolites

The development of hierarchical macro‐ or mesoporous zeolites is essential in zeolite synthesis because the size of the micropores limits mass transport and their use as industrial catalysts for bulky molecules. Although major breakthroughs have been achieved, fabricating crystallographically ordered mesoporous zeolites using a templating strategy is still an unsolved challenge. This minireview highlights our recent efforts on the self‐assembly of amphiphilic molecules to obtain ordered hierarchical MFI zeolites by introducing aromatic groups into the hydrophobic tail of the amphiphilic molecules. Owing to the geometric matching between the self‐assembled aromatic tails and the MFI framework, a) single‐crystalline mesostructured zeolite nanosheets (SCZNs), b) SCZNs with a 90° rotational intergrowth structure, c) a hierarchical MFI zeolite with a two‐dimensional square P4mm mesostructure, and d) a single‐crystalline mesoporous ZSM‐5 with three‐dimensional pores and sheetlike mesopores layered along the a‐axis were successfully synthesized.     

Charge Transfer Complexes of Some Heterocyclic Aromatic Amines with π‐Organic Acceptors in Polar Solvents

A conductometric titration technique has been used to investigate the electron transfer activity of CT molecular complexes formed by arylazopyrimidine and naphthylazopyrimidine derivatives as donors and the organic π‐acceptors p‐nitroaniline, p‐chloroaniline, p‐bromoaniline, anthraquinone, picric acid, α‐nitroso‐β‐naphthol, p‐hydroxybenzaldehyde and maleic anhydride. The study was performed at different degree of temperature and in three different polar solvents namely N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF), acetonitrile (ACN) and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO). The stoichiometric ratios of these complexes were found to be 1:1. The dissociation constant (ασ_M) values of the formed complexes have been calculated, and the effects of solvents as well as types of electron donors on their conductance σ_p‐values have been examined.     

Study on the Cation-π Interactions between Ammonium Ion and Aromatic π Systems

The nature and strength of the cation-π interactions between NH4^＋ and toluene, p-cresol, or Me-indole were studied in terms of the topological properties of molecular charge density and binding energy decomposition. The results display that the diversity in the distribution pattern of bond and cage critical points reflects the profound influence of the number and nature of substituent on the electron density of the aromatic rings. On the other hand, the energy decomposition shows that dispersion and repulsive exchange forces play an important role in the organic cation （NH4^＋）-π interaction, although the electrostatic and induction forces dominate the interaction. In addition, it is intriguing that there is an excellent correlation between the electrostatic energy and ellipticity at the bond critical point of the aromatic π systems, which would be helpful to further understand the electrostatic interaction in the cation-π complexes.     

Quantum Control of Coherent ρρ‐Electron Dynamics in Chiral Aromatic Molecules

Control of mobile π‐electrons is one of the fundamental issues in the organic optoelectronics for designing the next generation ultrafast switching devices. The optimal control simulations of coherent π‐electron rotations in (P)‐2,2’‐biphenol, which is the typical nonplanar aromatic molecule with axial chirality, were performed by taking into account two types of the control targets: one is generation of the maximum π‐angular momentum, and the other is the maintaining of the generated unidirectional angular momentum during a setting time duration. The optimal control pulse for each target is designed. The analysis of the simulation results shows that the effective maintaining of the unidirectional angular momentum can be realized by applying 2π pulse to one of the electronic excited states forming the coherent electronic state. The 2π pulse prevents the reverse rotation of the π‐electrons by dumping the excited state population to the ground state and subsequently by pumping the population back to the excited state. The present results provide a theoretical basis for the designing next generation ultrafast switching devices made by organic aromatic molecules.     

Structural and Spectral Studies on the Ni(II) Complexes of 1,5‐Diazacyclooctane (DACO) Bearing Heterocyclic Pendants: Formation of a Two‐dimensional Network via Hydrogen Bonds and π‐π Stacking Interactions

A penta‐coordinated Ni(II) complex with a 1,5‐diazacyclooctane (DACO) ligand functionalized by two imidazole donor pendants, [NiL¹Cl] (ClO₄) H₂O (1) (where L¹ = 1,5‐bis (imidazol‐4‐ylmethyl)‐l,5‐diazacyclooctane) has been synthesized and characterized by X‐ray diffraction, infrared spectra, elemental analyses, conductance, thermal analyses and UV‐Vis techniques. Complex 1 crystallizes in triclinic crystal system, P‐l space group with a = 0.74782(7), b = 1.15082 (10), c = 1.23781(11) nm, α = 82.090(2), β = 73.011(2), γ = 83.462(2)°, V = 1.00603(16) nm³, M, = 486.00, Z = 2, D_c = 1.604 g/cm³, final R = 0.0435, and wR = 0.1244. The structures of 1 and its related complexes show that in all the three mononuclear complexes, each Ni(II) center is penta‐coordinated with a near regular square pyramid (RSP) to distorted square‐pyramidal (DSP) coordination environment due to the boat/chair configuration of DACO ring in these complexes, and the degree of distortion increases with the augment of the size of the heterocyclic pendants. In addition, the most striking feature of complex 1 resides in the formation of a two‐dimensional network structure through hydrogen bonds and stabilized by π‐π stacking. The solution behaviors of the Ni(II) complexes are also discussed in detail.     

Dissymmetrical U‐Shaped π‐Stacked Supramolecular Assemblies by Using a Dinuclear CuI Clip with Organophosphorus Ligands and Monotopic Fully π‐Conjugated Ligands

Reactions between the U‐shaped binuclear Cu^I complex A that bears short metal–metal distances and the cyano‐capped monotopic π‐conjugated ligands 1 – 5 that carry gradually bulkier polyaromatic terminal fragments lead to the formation of π‐stacked supramolecular assemblies 6 – 10 , respectively, in yields of 50–80 %. These derivatives have been characterized by multinuclear NMR spectroscopic analysis and X‐ray diffraction studies. Their solid‐state structures show the selective formation of U‐shaped supramolecular assemblies in which two monotopic π‐conjugated systems present large ( 6 , 7 , and 9 ) or medium ( 8 and 10 ) intramolecular π overlap, thus revealing π–π interactions. These assemblies self‐organize into head‐to‐tail π‐stacked dimers that in turn self‐assemble to afford infinite columnar π stacks. The nature, extent, and complexity of the intermolecular contacts within the head‐to‐tail π‐stacked dimer depend on the nature of the terminal polyaromatic fragment carried by the cyano‐capped monotopic ligand, but it does not alter the result of the self‐assembling process. These results demonstrate that the dinuclear molecular clip A that bears short metal–metal distances allows selective supramolecular assembly processes driven by the formation of intra‐ and intermolecular short π–π interactions in the resulting self‐assembled structures; thus, demonstrating that their shape is not only dictated by the symmetry of the building blocks. This approach opens perspectives toward the formation of extended π‐stacked columns based on dissymmetrical and functional π‐conjugated systems.     

Activation of Aromatic C−C Bonds of 2,2’‐Bipyridine Ligands

4,4’‐Disubstituted‐2,2′‐bipyridine ligands coordinated to Mo^II and Re^I cationic fragments become dearomatized by an intramolecular nucleophilic attack from a deprotonated N‐alkylimidazole ligand in cis disposition. The subsequent protonation of these neutral complexes takes place on a pyridine carbon atom rather than at nitrogen, weakening an aromatic C?C bond and affording a dihydropyridyl moiety. Computational calculations allowed for the rationalization of the formation of the experimentally obtained products over other plausible alternatives.     

Hydrogen‐Bonded Organic Aromatic Frameworks for Ultralong Phosphorescence by Intralayer π–π Interactions

Ultralong organic phosphorescence (UOP) based on metal‐free porous materials is rarely reported owing to rapid nonradiative transition under ambient conditions. In this study, hydrogen‐bonded organic aromatic frameworks (HOAFs) with different pore sizes were constructed through strong intralayer π–π interactions to enable ultralong phosphorescence in metal‐free porous materials under ambient conditions for the first time. Impressively, yellow UOP with a lifetime of 79.8 ms observed for PhTCz‐1 lasted for several seconds upon ceasing the excitation. For PhTCz‐2 and PhTCz‐3, on account of oxygen‐dependent phosphorescence quenching, UOP could only be visualized in N₂, thus demonstrating the potential of phosphorescent porous materials for oxygen sensing. This result not only outlines a principle for the design of new HOFs with high thermal stability, but also expands the scope of metal‐free luminescent materials with the property of UOP.     

N‐Heterocyclic Carbene Stabilized Dicarbondiphosphides: Strong Neutral Four‐Membered Heterocyclic 6π‐Electron Donors

In contrast to cyclic π‐conjugated hydrocarbons, the coordination chemistry of inorganic heterocycles is less developed. Dicarbondiphosphides stabilized by N‐heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) NHC→C₂P₂←NHC ( 1 a , b ) (NHC=IPr or SIPr) contain a four‐membered C₂P₂ ring with an aromatic 6π‐electron configuration. These heterocycles coordinate to a variety of complex fragments with metals from groups 6, 9, and 10, namely [M⁰(CO)₃] (M=Cr, Mo), [Co^I(CO)₂]⁺, or [Ni^IIBr₂], through an η⁴‐coordination mode, leading to complexes 2 a , b , 3 a , b , 5 a , b , and 6 a , b , respectively. These complexes were characterized by X‐ray diffraction methods using single crystals, IR spectroscopy, and DFT calculations. In combination these methods indicate that 1 a , b behave as exceptionally strong 6π‐electron donors.     

Aromatic Ring‐Fused Carborane‐Based Luminescent π‐Conjugated Polymers

A series of π‐conjugated polymers linked by benzocarborane (1,2‐(buta‐1′,3′‐diene‐1′,4′‐diyl)‐1,2‐dicarbadodecaborane) were synthesized via Sonogashira–Hagihara polycondensation reaction. The opened molecular structure of diiodo monomer containing benzocarborane resulted in fast polymerization and high molecular weights. The obtained polymers were fully characterized by ¹H, ¹³C, and ¹¹B NMR spectroscopies. UV‐vis absorption and photoluminescence studies revealed the acceptor‐profile of benzocarborane. Unlike the polymers linked by o‐carborane, these polymers exhibited strong luminescence in the solution state, presumably because the inductive effect of carborane is dominant, rather than cage‐π interactions.

     

Synthesis and Characterization of Diketopyrrolopyrrole‐based D‐π‐A‐π‐D Small Molecules for Organic Solar Cell Applications

Four new small molecules – CTDP , BCTDP , CFDP , and BCFDP having D‐π‐A‐π‐D molecular architecture, possessing carbazole and benzocarbazole as electron donors, diketopyrrolopyrrole core as acceptor and thiophene/furan acting as spacer/bridge between donor (carbazole and benzocarbazole) and acceptor (diketopyrrolopyrrole) units are synthesized. All the four compounds exhibited absorption in the range of 300 to 700 nm, and, in particular, more intense absorption found in the 500 to 660 nm region. The estimated band gaps are found to be 1.92 eV for CTDP, 1.92 eV for BCTDP, 1.94 eV for CFDP, and 1.92 eV for BCFDP from their intersection point of absorption and emission spectra. The electrochemical studies revealed that the highest occupied molecular orbital/lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy levels of all the four compounds, CTDP (−5.03/−3.65 eV), BCTDP (−5.03/−3.65 eV), CFDP (−4.94/−3.65 eV), and BCFDP (−4.90/−3.62 eV) are well matched with PCBM and expected to be act as donor materials in small molecule bulk hetero junction organic solar cells. All the compounds are thermally stable up to 382–416°C.