Luminescent lanthanide complexes with liquid crystalline properties

Lewis-base adducts of tris(β -diketonato)lanthanide(III) complexes were prepared, where the β -diketone is para -alkoxy-substituted 1,3-diphenyl-1,3-propanedione. These compounds are the first examples of liquid crystalline lanthanide complexes in which the mesomorphism is introduced via a β -diketonate ligand. Depending on the type of the Lewis base, the metallomesogens exhibit a monotropic smectic A or a monotropic highly ordered smectic phase. Intense photoluminescence was observed for the europium(III) complexes at room temperature.     

C---H bond activation by rhodium(I) and the mechanism of the olefin isomerization: new synthesis of β,γ-unsaturated ketones via η- or η-alkylallylrhodium(III) complexes by reductive elimination

Acylrhodium(III)-η³-1-ethylallyl complex (7) was prepared by the reaction of 8-quinolinecarboxaldehyde (3) and 1,4-pentadienerhodium(I) chloride (2) by C---H bond activation, followed by hydrometallation, and double bond migration. Higher concentrations of pyridine as coordinating ligand transforms η³-1-ethylallylrhodium(III) complexes (8a,8b) into η¹-pent-2-enylrhodium(III) complex (11a). Acylrhodium(III)-η³-syn,anti-1,3-dimethylallyl complex (14) was also prepared from 1,3-pentadienerhodium(I) chloride (16) and 3. The reductive elimination of acylrhodium(III)-η¹- and -η³-1-alkylallyl complexes by trimethylphosphite gives various β,γ-unsaturated ketones.     

Thermal and Emission Properties of a Series of Lanthanides Complexes with N-Biphenyl-Alkylated-4-Pyridone Ligands: Crystal Structure of a Terbium Complex with N-Benzyl-4-Pyridone

This work focuses on the investigation of the liquid crystalline behavior and luminescence properties of the lanthanide complexes of Eu(III), Sm(III) and Tb(III) with N-biphenyl-alkylated-4-pyridone ligands. The organic ligands having a biphenyl group attached via a long flexible spacer with either 9 or 10 carbon atoms were synthesized by the reaction between 4-hydroxypyridine and the corresponding bromide compounds. The chemical structures of the organic and lanthanide complexes were assigned based on elemental analysis, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, ¹H, ¹³C NMR and IR spectroscopies, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The X-ray diffraction analysis of a parent compound shows that the lanthanide ions are surrounded by three monodentate pyridone ligands and three bidentate nitrate ions, giving a 9-coordinate environment. The mesogenic behavior and the type of liquid crystalline phases exhibited by the new complexes were analyzed by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and polarizing optical microscopy (POM), and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies. Only the lanthanide complexes with longer spacer (10) display a monotropic SmA phase, typically on a short thermal range (less than 10 °C). The complexes with shorter flexible chains (9) show no liquid crystalline properties with melting temperatures lower than their analogs with longer spacers. The emission spectra recorded in solid state at room temperatures show typical emission bands for each lanthanide ion employed (Eu(III), Tb(III) and Sm(III)).     

Mesogenic cinnamates with a substituted ethyl terminal chain

Two new mesogenic homologous series of liquid crystalline cinnamates with substituted ethyl tails, β-methoxyethyl [4-(4'-n-alkoxycinnamoyloxy)benzoates (I) and β-chloroethyl [4-(4'-n-alkoxycinnamoyloxy)benzoates (II), have been synthesized and characterized by a combination of elemental analysis and standard spectroscopic methods. In series I, lower-chain members exhibit nematic mesophase, middle members exhibit enantiotropic nematic as well as smectic A (SmA) mesophases, whereas higher members exhibit only an enantiotropic SmA mesophase. In series II, methoxy to n-butyloxy derivatives exhibit a monotropic nematic mesophase. The SmA mesophase commences from n-propyloxy derivative as monotropic and persists up to the last member synthesized. The mesomorphic properties of present series were compared with each other and with a structurally related mesogenic homologous series to evaluate the effects of substituted ethyl tail and cinnamoyloxy central linkage on mesomorphism.     

Synthesis and thermal properties of mesomorphic 1,1'-bis[ω-(4'-cyano-4-biphenyloxy)alkyl] ferrocenes

A new series of 1,1'-disubstituted ferrocene compounds of the type [(η⁵-C₅H₄(CH₂)_nOC₆H₄C₆H₄CN]₂Fe (3a-d, n = 5, 6, 8, 11) incorporating a variable length alkyloxy cyanobiphenyl unit has been prepared and their mesomorphic properties have been investigated. Compounds 3b, c and d exhibit a thermotropic smectic C phase and 3c also exhibits a monotropic smectic A phase over a fairly wide range near ambient temperature.     

Dimeric scandium(III) and monomeric lanthanide(III) complexes with perfluoropropane-1,3-disulfonates as counter anions for Lewis acid catalysis

A novel scandium(III) complex with disulfonates as counter anions, [Sc(μ-OH)(H₂O)₅]₂[O₃S(CF₂)₃SO₃]₂ (5), was prepared from scandium oxides (Sc₂O₃) and perfluoropropane-1,3-disulfonic acid (1, HO₃SCF₂CF₂CF₂SO₃H). By X-ray analysis, 5 was found to be a μ-OH-bridged dimeric structure bearing two perfluoropropane-1,3-disulfonates without bonding to scandium(III) centers. A series of lanthanide(III) complexes were also prepared from 1 and lanthanide oxides (Ln₂O₃; Ln = La, Nd, Sm, and Gd). In sharp contrast to the dimeric scandium(III) complex, the corresponding lanthanide(III) complexes had monomeric structures. Interestingly, the dimeric scandium(III) complex, but not the monomeric lanthanide complexes, with perfluoropropane-1,3-disulfonates served as an efficient Lewis acid catalyst for the hydrolysis of esters.     

Eu(III) and Tb(III) complexes of 1,3-bis(4-chlorophenyl)-1,3-propanedione combined with phenanthroline ligand: synthesis,structural characterization,and thermogravimetric studies

β-Diketone lanthanide complexes are used mainly in lighting, telecommunication, screens, safety inks, and marking as well as in the field of luminescent materials for probes in biosciences. Two new lanthanide ternary complexes, the general formula Eu(BCPP)₃(Phen) and Tb(BCPP)₃(Phen), combined 1,3-bis(4-chlorophenyl)-1,3-propanedione (BCPP) with 1,10-phenanthroline as a secondary ligand, were synthesized and structurally characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction, elemental analysis, FT-IR, and MALDI-TOF MS. Single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that these Eu(III) and Tb(III) complexes displayed bidentate ligands and a square antiprism geometry for the metal center. Also, the absorption and thermal behavior of these lanthanide complexes were investigated. When the maximum absorption of the lanthanide complexes was compared, it was observed that the absorption wavelength of the lanthanide complexes were red shifted in DMSO, DMF, and DCM, depending on the polarity of the solvent.     

Highly luminescent, triple- and quadruple-stranded, dinuclear Eu, Nd, and Sm(III) lanthanide complexes based on bis-diketonate ligands

The bis(beta-diketone) ligands 1,3-bis(3-phenyl-3-oxopropanoyl)benzene, H(2)L(1) and 1,3-bis(3-phenyl-3-oxopropanoyl) 5-ethoxy-benzene, H(2)L(2), have been prepared for the examination of dinuclear lanthanide complex formation and investigation of their properties as sensitizers for lanthanide luminescence. The ligands bear two conjugated diketonate binding sites linked by a 1,3-phenylene spacer. The ligands bind to lanthanide(III) or yttrium(III) ions to form neutral homodimetallic triple stranded complexes [M(2)L(1)(3)] where M = Eu, Nd, Sm, Y, Gd and [M(2)L(2)(3)], where M = Eu, Nd or anionic quadruple-stranded dinuclear lanthanide units, [Eu(2)L(1)(4)](2-). The crystal structure of the free ligand H(2)L(1) has been determined and shows a twisted arrangement of the two binding sites around the 1,3-phenylene spacer. The dinuclear complexes have been isolated and fully characterized. Detailed NMR investigations of the complexes confirm the formation of a single complex species, with high symmetry; the complexes show clear proton patterns with chemical shifts of a wide range due to the lanthanide paramagnetism. Addition of Pirkle's reagent to solutions of the complexes leads to splitting of the peaks, confirming the chiral nature of the complexes. Electrospray and MALDI mass spectrometry have been used to identify complex formulation and characteristic isotope patterns for the different lanthanide complexes have been obtained. The complexes have high molar absorption coefficients (around 13 x 10(4) M(-1)cm(-1)) and display strong visible (red or pink) or NIR luminescence upon irradiation at the ligand band around 350 nm, depending on the choice of the lanthanide. Emission quantum yield experiments have been performed and the luminescence signals of the dinuclear complexes have been found to be up to 11 times more intense than the luminescence signals of the mononuclear analogues. The emission quantum yields and the luminescence lifetimes are determined to be 5% and 220 micros for [Eu(2)L(1)(3)], 0.16% and 13 micros for [Sm(2)L(1)(3)], and 0.6% and 1.5 micros for [Nd(2)L(1)(3)]. The energy level of the ligand triplet state was determined from the 77 K spectrum of [Gd(2)L(1)(3)]. The bis-diketonate ligand is shown to be an efficient sensitizer, particularly for Sm and Nd. Photophysical studies of the europium complexes at room temperature and 77 K show the presence of a thermally activated deactivation pathway, which we attribute to ligand-to-metal charge transfer (LMCT). Quenching of the luminescence from this level seems to be operational for the Eu(III) complex but not for complexes of Sm(III) and Nd(III), which exhibit long lifetimes. The quadruple-stranded europium complex has been isolated and characterized as the piperidinium salt of [Eu(2)L(1)(4)](2-). Compared with the triple-stranded Eu(III) complex in the solid state, the quadruple-stranded complex displays a more intense emission signal with a distinct emission pattern indicating the higher symmetry of the quadruple-stranded complex.     

Listening to Lanthanide Complexes: Determination of the Intrinsic Luminescence Quantum Yield by Nonradiative Relaxation

The photophysical properties of lanthanide complexes have been studied extensively; however, fundamental parameters such as the intrinsic quantum yield as well as radiative and nonradiative decay rates are difficult or even impossible to measure experimentally. Herein, a photoacoustic (PA) method is proposed to determine the intrinsic quantum yield of lanthanide complexes with lifetimes in the order of milliseconds. This method is used to determine the intrinsic quantum yields for europium(III)‐containing metallomesogens as well as terbium(III) complexes. The results show that the PA signal is sensitive to both the lifetime and the ratio of the fast‐to‐slow heat component of the samples. It is found that there is an efficient ligand sensitization and a moderate intrinsic quantum yield for the complexes. The intrinsic quantum yield of Eu³⁺ in the metallomesogens exhibits an obvious increase upon the isotropic liquid to smectic A transition. The proposed PA method is quite simple, and can contribute to a clearer understanding of the photophysical processes in luminescent lanthanide complexes.     

Synthesis and structural characterization of lanthanide picrate complexes with a new binaphthylamide

Solid complexes of lanthanide picrates with N-Ethyl-2-{2′-[(ethyl-phenyl-carbamoyl)-methoxy]-[1,1′]binaphthalenyl-2-yloxy}-N-phenyl-acetamide (L), [Ln(pic)₃L] (Ln=La, Tb, Y), have been prepared and characterized by elemental analysis, IR and ¹H NMR spectra. The molecular structure of [Tb(pic)₃L] shows that the Tb(III) ion is nine-coordinated by four oxygen atoms from the L and five from two bidentate and one unidentate picrates. The complex forms a 1D supramolecular structure along z-axis.     

Synthesis of 1,3-bis(acetylacetonyloxy)- and 1,3-bis(benzoylacetonyloxy)benzene and their complexation with lanthanide ions

Claisen condensation of 1,3-bis(methoxycarbonylmethoxy)benzene with acetone and acetophenone afforded new chelating ligands consisting of two β-diketonate fragments, viz., 1,3-bis(acetylacetonyloxy)benzene and 1,3-bis(benzoylacetonyloxy)benzene, which are linked to each other through the resorcinol spacer. In the crystal, 1,3-bis(acetylacetonyloxy)benzene, unlike the starting ester, adopts a planar conformation and exists in the enol form. The acidities of these compounds and their complexation with lanthanide ions in aqueous ethanolic solutions were studied by pH-potentiometry. Depending on the concentration conditions and pH, the La³⁺, Gd³⁺, and Lu³⁺ ions form 1 : 1, 1 : 2, or 1 : 3 complexes with bis(β-diketones). The stability of the complexes increases as the atomic number of the lanthanide increases (La³⁺ < Gd³⁺ ≤ Lu³⁺). The complexation constants and selectivity of complexation substantially increase with increasing degree of deprotonation of the ligands, which indicates that both chelate groups of the ligands are simultaneously involved in coordination. The Ph substituents in bis(β-diketone) have a considerable effect on the composition and stability of complexes with lanthanide ions due to additional noncovalent inner-sphere interactions.__________Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 3, pp. 614–622, March, 2005.     

Thermotropic liquid crystalline polymers containing five-membered heterocyclic groups IX. Synthesis and optical properties of liquid crystalline semi-rigid polyesters composed of a quinquephenyl analogue containing 1,3,4-thiadiazole and aliphatic chains

Novel semi-rigid polyesters containing a quinquephenyl analogue containing 1,3,4-thiadiazole and a central 1,3-phenylene unit in the main chain were synthesized by high temperature solution polycondensation of a dimethyl ester derivative of 1,3-bis(5-phenyl-1,3,4-thiadiazol-2-yl)benzene with an aliphatic (octa-, deca- and dodecamethylene) diol. The proposed structures were confirmed using FTIR and ¹H NMR spectroscopies, and elemental analyses; their liquid crystalline and photoluminescent (PL) properties were examined by means of differential scanning calorimetry, optical texture observations using polarizing microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, and UV-vis and PL spectra measurements. These measurements showed that the polymers not only show a monotropic solid smectic or disordered crystal phase, but also PL properties with blue emission in HFIP solutions and in the solid phase, Stokes shifts of 116.5-119 nm being observed.     

Mesogenic behaviour in some pyrazole and isoxazole derivatives

Several aromatic β-diketones with a different number of alkyloxy groups in the aromatic rings and their derived pyrazoles, isoxazoles and thallium (I) complexes have been synthesized. The potential mesomorphic properties of these compounds have been investigated by optical microscopy, DSC and X-ray diffraction. The pyrazoles and isoxazoles with one chain in each aromatic ring are mesogenic, showing smectic A and smectic C mesophases, whereas the pyrazoles and isoxazoles with two chains per ring and the β-diketones and thallium complexes are not. The mesogenic potentiality is shown to be related to the molecular linearity and to the number of alkyloxy groups. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time liquid crystal properties have been described for pyrazole and isoxazole derivatives.     

Novel photoluminescent lanthanidomesogens forming bilayer smectic phase derived from blue light emitting liquid crystalline, one ring O-donor Schiff-base ligands

A series of new mononuclear lanthanide(III)-salicylaldimine complexes of the type [Ln(LH)₃(NO₃)₃] (Ln = La, Pr, Sm and Gd; LH = N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-4n-alkoxysalicylaldimine, n = 14, 18) have been synthesized and characterized by FT-IR, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, UV-Vis, FAB-mass and magnetic susceptibility measurements. The ligand (LH) coordinate to lanthanide ions in zwitterionic form via the phenolic-oxygen with the proton shifted to the imine-nitrogen. The nitrato groups occurring in chelated bidentate fashion complete a nine-coordinate geometry. Polarized optical microscopy (POM) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) show that the ligands are monotropic and their complexes exhibit enantiotropic highly viscous smectic A (SmA) mesophase in the temperature range 60-185 °C. A bilayer self organized assembly of the molecules in the mesophase are proposed on the basis of the small angle XRD study. The ligands are blue light emitters with a broad emission maxima at ∼447 nm while the lanthanide complexes show intense emission in the visible range (∼465-679 nm) at 350 nm excitation. The samarium(III) complex, [Sm(LH)₃(NO₃)₃] is distinct from the rest in emitting bright orange light (∼660 nm, Φ = 48%). The S_o-S₁ excitation band being stronger than the direct f-f excitation in the samarium complex clearly suggests that the Schiff-base ligands efficiently sensitize the luminescence of Sm³⁺. DFT calculations have been performed using DMol3 program at BLYP/DNP level to obtain the stable electronic structure of the ligand and complex.     

A new pyridine-2,6-bis(oxazoline) for efficient and flexible lanthanide-based catalysts of enantioselective reactions with 3-alkenoyl-2-oxazolidinones

A new pyridine-2,6-bis(oxazoline) (4) has been easily synthesised from the reaction of (1S,2S)-2-amino-1-phenylpropane-1,3-diol (1) and dimethyl pyridine-2,6-dicarboximidate (2), followed by TIPS (TIPS=triisopropylsilyl) protection of the 4'-CH2OH group. The catalysts derived from 4 and eight lanthanide(III) triflates have been tested over three reactions involving 3-acryloyl- and 3-crotonoyloxazolidinones (5 a,b): the Diels-Alder (DA) reaction with cyclopentadiene, the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition with diphenyl nitrone and the Mukaiyama-Michael reaction with 2-trimethylsilyloxyfuran. Several reactions exhibit very good enantioselectivity (ee>90 %), and the opposite enantiomers can be easily obtained simply by changing the cation. This specific feature of the ligand can be appreciated in the DA reaction of 5 a, since the catalyst [Sc(III)4] gives the adduct (2'S)-9 a with 99 % ee, whereas the catalyst [Y(III)4] gives the opposite enantiomer with 95 % ee. A rationale of the enantioselectivity is proposed on the basis of the NMR spectra of La-based complexes involving 4 and 5 as ligands.     

Thermal behaviour of lanthanide complexes of 1,3-propanediamine- tetramethylenephosphonic acid

1,3-propanediaminotetramethylenephosphonic acid (PDTMP, H₈L) was prepared and its complexes with some lanthanide ions (La(III), Eu(III), Gd(III) and Sm(III)) were isolated. The IR spectra and thermal stabilities of PDTMP and its complexes were studied. All the complexes contain physically and coordinately bound water molecules, which are released from the solid samples below 370°C. On heating PDTMP decomposes to phosphorus oxides, while its anhydrous complexes decompose to lanthanide oxides, and cyclic and linear polyphosphates between 400 and 1000°C. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Smectic Bimetallomesogens: Synthesis and Mesomorphic Properties in Oxygen-Bridged Dicopper and Divanadyl Complexes

The synthesis and mesomorphic properties of a homologous series of N-(3-hydroxypropyl)-4-alkoxylsalicylaldimine, N-(3-hydroxypropyl)-4-(4′-alkoxybenzoxy)salicylaldimine, and their dicopper(II) and di-oxovanadium(VI) complexes are reported. Copper complexes exhibited monotropic smectic A phases; however, vanadyl complexes showed no mesomorphism. A systematic comparison revealed that the meso-genie behaviors of these bimetallic complexes are induced by the weak intermolecular force and determined mainly by the central metal. The effects on the structural variations near the metal central cores and side chain density are also discussed.     

Miscibility studies of the smectic phases of trans,trans-4'-alkylbicyclohexyl-4-carbonitrile (CCH) liquid crystals

Complete temperature-composition phase diagrams for binary mixtures of 4'-ethyl-, 4'-propyl-, and 4'-butylbicyclohexyl-4-carbonitrile (CCH-2, CCH-3, and CCH-4, respectively) in each of the three possible combinations have been constructed from differential scanning calorimetry and thermal microscopy data. The highest temperature smectic phases of each of the pure mesogens are immiscible with one another, even though CCH-3 and CCH-4 have both been previously assigned the bilayer crystal-B structure on the basis of X-ray diffraction studies. The present studies indicate that the enantiotropic smectic phase of CCH-4 is slightly higher-ordered than is the monotropic smectic phase of CCH-3. The smectic phase of CCH-2, which previously has been found to be characterized by rhombohedral packing on the basis of X-ray diffraction data, is miscible with the second, previously uncharacterized (monotropic) smectic phase (S₂) of CCH-3. Photographs illustrating the subtle differences in the microscopic textures of these smectic phases are also presented.     

Thermal behaviour of lanthanum(III) alkanoates

The mesophase behaviour of the lanthanum(III) alkanoates [La(C_xH_2x+1COO)₃] (x =3-19) has been investigated by hot-stage polarizing optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and high-temperature X-ray diffraction. Lanthanum(III) butyrate monohydrate shows no mesomorphism, whereas for the remaining short chain homologues (x = 4-9) a highly viscous mesophase M and a smectic A phase were observed. The longer chain lanthanum(III) soaps (x = 10-19) exhibit only a smectic A phase. However, the chain length has a pronounced effect on the transition temperatures. The thermal behaviour of lanthanum(III) alkanoates is compared with that of other lanthanide(III) alkanoates.     

Titanocene and zirconocene σ-alkynyl complexes in C---C single bond coupling and cleavage reactions

Group 4 metallocene mono- and bis-σ-alkynyl complexes of the type L₂M(σ-CCR) and L₂M(σ-CCR)₂ with M=titanium and zirconium in the oxidation states +3 and +4 and L=Cp (η⁵-cyclopentadienyl) and Cp^* (η⁵-pentamethylcyclopentadienyl) are important compounds for stoichiometric and catalytic C---C single bond coupling and cleavage reactions. Detailed investigations show five-membered metallacyclocumulenes L₂M(η⁴-1,2,3,4-RC₄R) as the key intermediates in both reactions of a C---C single bond cleavage of different 1,4-substituted 1,3-butadiynes RCC---CCR to alkynyl groups and the opposite reaction of C---C single bond formation starting from alkynyl groups under the formation of 1,4-substituted 1,3-butadiynes. Depending on different metals M and ligands L, coupling or cleavage is favoured. Combination of both reactions offered the first C---C single bond metathesis in homogeneous solution, which is photocatalyzed and titanocene-mediated. It proceeds via titanocene–mono-alkynyl complexes, which are interesting species also for other stoichiometric and catalytic C---C coupling reactions. Some similarities regarding the σ-to-π conversion exist between the coupling of the alkynyl groups at titano- and zirconocenes to complexed 1,3-butadiynes on one side and the coupling of phenyl groups at chromium to complexed diphenyl on the other side.