New 2,6‐Distyryl‐Substituted BODIPY Isomers: Synthesis,Photophysical Properties,and Theoretical Calculations

A 2,6‐distyryl‐substituted boradiazaindacene (BODIPY) dye and a new series of 2,6‐p‐dimethylaminostyrene isomers containing both α‐ and β‐position styryl substituents were synthesized by reacting styrene and p‐dimethylaminostyrene with an electron‐rich diiodo‐BODIPY. The dyes were characterized by X‐ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy and their photophysical properties were investigated and analyzed by carrying out a series of theoretical calculations. The absorption spectra contain markedly redshifted absorbance bands due to conjugation between the styryl moieties and the main BODIPY fluorophore. Very low fluorescence quantum yields and significant Stokes shifts are observed for 2,6‐distyryl‐substituted BODIPYs, relative to analogous 3,5‐distyryl‐ and 1,7‐distyryl‐substituted BODIPYs. Although the fluorescence of the compound with β‐position styryl substituents on both pyrrole moieties and one with both β‐ and α‐position substituents was completely quenched, the compound with only α‐position substituents exhibits weak emission in polar solvents, but moderately intense emission with a quantum yield of 0.49 in hexane. Protonation studies have demonstrated that these 2,6‐p‐dimethylaminostyrene isomers can be used as sensors for changes in pH. Theoretical calculations provide strong evidence that styryl rotation and the formation of non‐emissive charge‐separated S₁ states play a pivotal role in shaping the fluorescence properties of these dyes. Molecular orbital theory is used as a conceptual framework to describe the electronic structures of the BODIPY core and an analysis of the angular nodal patterns provides a reasonable explanation for why the introduction of substituents at different positions on the BODIPY core has markedly differing effects.     

meso‐Ester and Carboxylic Acid Substituted BODIPYs with Far‐Red and Near‐Infrared Emission for Bioimaging Applications

A series of meso‐ester‐substituted BODIPY derivatives 1–6 are synthesized and characterized. In particular, dyes functionalized with oligo(ethylene glycol) ether styryl or naphthalene vinylene groups at the α positions of the BODIPY core ( 3 – 6 ) become partially soluble in water, and their absorptions and emissions are located in the far‐red or near‐infrared region. Three synthetic approaches are attempted to access the meso‐carboxylic acid (COOH)‐substituted BODIPYs 7 and 8 from the meso‐ester‐substituted BODIPYs. Two feasible synthetic routes are developed successfully, including one short route with only three steps. The meso‐COOH‐substituted BODIPY 7 is completely soluble in pure water, and its fluorescence maximum reaches around 650 nm with a fluorescence quantum yield of up to 15 %. Time‐dependent density functional theory calculations are conducted to understand the structure–optical properties relationship, and it is revealed that the Stokes shift is dependent mainly on the geometric change from the ground state to the first excited singlet state. Furthermore, cell staining tests demonstrate that the meso‐ester‐substituted BODIPYs ( 1 and 3 – 6 ) and one of the meso‐COOH‐substituted BODIPYs ( 8 ) are very membrane‐permeable. These features make these meso‐ester‐ and meso‐COOH‐substituted BODIPY dyes attractive for bioimaging and biolabeling applications in living cells.     

Rational Design,Green Synthesis,and Initial Evaluation of a Series of Full‐Color Tunable Fluorescent Dyes Enabled by the Copper‐Catalyzed N‐Arylation of 6‐Phenyl Pyridazinones and Their Application in Cell Imaging

There is widespread interest in the application, optimization, and evolution of the transition‐metal‐catalyzed arylation of N‐heteroarenes to discover full‐color tunable fluorescent core frameworks. Inspired by the versatile roles of pyridazinone in organic synthesis and medicinal chemistry, herein, we report a simple and efficient copper‐catalyzed cross‐coupling reaction for the N‐functionalization of pyridazinones in neat water. To achieve the efficient conversion of pyridazinones and organic halides in aqueous phase, a series of copper‐salen complexes composed of different Schiff base ligands were investigated by rational design. A final choice of fine‐tuned hydrophilicity balanced with lipophilicity among the candidates was confirmed, which affords excellent activity towards the reaction of a wide range of pyridazinones and organic halides. More importantly, the products as N‐substituted pyridazinones were synthesized rationally by this methodology as full‐color tunable fluorescent agents (426–612 nm). The N2 position of pyridazinones was modified by different aryl group such as benzothiazole, N,N‐dimethylaniline, 3‐quinoline, 4‐isoquinoline and 2‐thiophene, resulting in a series of full‐color tunable fluorescent reagents. Meanwhile, the effects of electron‐donating and electron‐withdrawing groups of the 6‐substituted phenyl ring have also been investigated to optimize the fluorescent properties. These fluorescent core frameworks were studied in several cell lines as fluorescent dyes. Different colors from blue to red were observed by using fluorescence microscopy and confocal microscopy.     

Pentacoordinate Silicon Complexes with N‐(2‐pyridylmethyl)­salicylamide as a Dianionic (ONN′) Tridentate Chelator

The title compound, N‐(2‐pyridylmethyl)salicylamide ( 1 ), was synthesized by ester aminolysis of methyl salicylate and 2‐picolylamine. In the presence of triethylamine as a supporting base, the salicylamide moiety reacts with the organodichlorosilanes RR′SiCl₂ to form the desired six‐membered heterocycles of the type RR′Si–O–(o‐C₆H₄)–C(=O)N(pic), with pic being the 2‐pyridylmethyl (i.e., 2‐picolyl) moiety and RR′ = Me, Me ( 2a ); Me, Ph ( 2b ); Ph, Ph ( 2c ); Bn, Bn ( 2d ); All, Ph ( 2e ) and Ph, H ( 2f ). Despite the absence of notable ring strain release Lewis acidity (i.e., only a six‐membered chelate is formed by the dianion, and smaller rings are not present in the compound), the poor electron withdrawal from silicon by its C– or H– substituents and the flexible methylene bridge between the salicylamide and the pyridine moiety, the pyridine N donor atom furnishes pentacoordinate silicon coordination spheres in all of these compounds 2a – 2f . The coordination number of the silicon atom was confirmed by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis for the solid state and by ²⁹Si NMR spectroscopy for the solution state.     

Synthesis and spectroscopic properties of finite Ph2N-containing oligo(arylenevinylene) derivatives that emit blue to red fluorescence

[structure: see text] A series of oligo(phenylenevinylene) (OPV) derivatives with finite conjugation units were prepared in short steps from few building blocks. The central and terminal aryl groups of these OPV dyes contain cyano and Ph(2)N substituents, respectively, which affect color of fluorescence. The wavelength ranges from 472 nm (blue) to 614 nm (red) depending on the position of the cyano group.     

Synthesis and Characterization of Far‐Red/NIR‐Fluorescent BODIPY Dyes,Solid‐State Fluorescence,and Application as Fluorescent Tags Attached to Carbon Nano‐onions

A series of π‐extended distyryl‐substituted boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) derivatives with intense far‐red/near‐infrared (NIR) fluorescence was synthesized and characterized, with a view to enhance the dye’s performance for fluorescence labeling. An enhanced brightness was achieved by the introduction of two methyl substituents in the meso positions on the phenyl group of the BODIPY molecule; these substituents resulted in increased structural rigidity. Solid‐state fluorescence was observed for one of the distyryl‐substituted BODIPY derivatives. The introduction of a terminal bromo substituent allows for the subsequent immobilization of the BODIPY fluorophore on the surface of carbon nano‐onions (CNOs), which leads to potential imaging agents for biological and biomedical applications. The far‐red/NIR‐fluorescent CNO nanoparticles were characterized by absorption, fluorescence, and Raman spectroscopies, as well as by thermogravimetric analysis, dynamic light scattering, high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy, and confocal microscopy.     

“Reduced” Coumarin Dyes with an O‐Phosphorylated 2,2‐Dimethyl‐4‐(hydroxymethyl)‐1,2,3,4‐tetrahydroquinoline Fragment: Synthesis,Spectra, and STED Microscopy

Large Stokes‐shift coumarin dyes with an O‐phosphorylated 4‐(hydroxymethyl)‐2,2‐dimethyl‐1,2,3,4‐tetrahydroquinoline fragment emitting in the blue, green, and red regions of the visible spectrum were synthesized. For this purpose, N‐substituted and O‐protected 1,2‐dihydro‐7‐hydroxy‐2,2,4‐trimethylquinoline was oxidized with SeO₂ to the corresponding α,β‐unsaturated aldehyde and then reduced with NaBH₄ in a “one‐pot” fashion to yield N‐substituted and 7‐O‐protected 4‐(hydroxymethyl)‐7‐hydroxy‐2,2‐dimethyl‐1,2,3,4‐tetrahydroquinoline as a common precursor to all the coumarin dyes reported here. The photophysical properties of the new dyes (“reduced coumarins”) and 1,2‐dihydroquinoline analogues (formal precursors) with a trisubstituted C=C bond were compared. The “reduced coumarins” were found to be more photoresistant and brighter than their 1,2‐dihydroquinoline counterparts. Free carboxylate analogues, as well as their antibody conjugates (obtained from N‐hydroxysuccinimidyl esters) were also prepared. All studied conjugates with secondary antibodies afforded high specificity and were suitable for fluorescence microscopy. The red‐emitting coumarin dye bearing a betaine fragment at the C‐3‐position showed excellent performance in stimulation emission depletion (STED) microscopy.     

Color‐Tunable Solid‐State Fluorescence Emission from Carbazole‐Based BODIPYs

Several carbazole‐based boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) dyes were synthesized by organometallic approaches. Thiazole, benzothiazole, imidazole, benzimidazole, triazole, and indolone substituents were introduced at the 1‐position of the carbazole moiety, and boron complexation of each dipyrrin generated the corresponding compounds 1 , 2 a , and 3 – 6 . The properties of these products were investigated by UV/Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, X‐ray crystallography, and DFT calculations. These compounds exhibited large Stokes shifts, and compounds 1 , 2 a , and 3 – 5 fluoresced both in solution and in the solid state. Complex 2 a showed the highest fluorescence quantum yield (Φ_F) in the solid state, therefore boron complexes of the carbazole–benzothiazole hybrids 2 b – f , which had several different substituents, were prepared and the effects of the substituents on the photophysical properties of the compounds were examined. The fluorescence properties showed good correlation with the results of crystal‐packing analyses, and the dyes exhibited color‐tunable solid‐state fluorescence.     

Two-dimensional self-assembly of linear molecular rods at the liquid/solid interface

We report on the synthesis and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) studies of a series of linear molecular rods (1-5) comprising different numbers and/or spatial arrangements of perfluorinated benzene and benzene subunits interlinked with diacetylenes in the para position and decorated with or without terminal dodecyl chains. The molecules organize themselves into well-ordered 2D crystal structures at the liquid/solid interface through intermolecular and molecule-substrate interactions. Whereas the molecules substituted by dodecyl chains form the lamellar structures with alternating rigid core rows and alkyl chain rows, the unsubstituted ones change the orientation of the rigid backbones with respect to the lamellar axis. The molecular arrangement is not influenced by fluoro substituents on any phenyl ring of the backbone, which suggests that the interactions between the π-conjugated backbones are dominated by close packing rather than by the dipole moments of the rods or fluorine-based intermolecular interactions.     

2,3,7,8,12,13‐Hexaaryltruxenes: An ortho‐Substituted Multiarm Design and Microwave‐Accelerated Synthesis toward Starburst Macromolecular Materials with Well‐Defined π Delocalization

We present herein a novel design and the efficient synthesis towards a “homogeneous” starburst fluorene system based on the novel 2,3,7,8,12,13‐hexaaryltruxene scaffold. Controlled microwave heating provides a facile and powerful approach for each step in the synthesis of these bulky materials with large steric hindrance, suggesting an avenue to access structurally well‐defined complex organic semiconductors (OSCs) rapidly and conveniently with high yield and purity. The resulting materials exhibited good thermal stability and an excellent glassy structure as revealed by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) as well as wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction (WAXD) studies. Moreover, compared with their corresponding three‐arm‐substituted counterparts T1 – T4 , the introduction of the ortho substituents around the truxene core in Tr1 – Tr4 results in significant blueshifts (of 7–24 nm) of the absorption maxima λ_max and higher energy optical gaps (E_g). Comparative studies with corresponding linear, rod‐shaped oligofluorene counterparts (OFX) have revealed that the longest para‐conjugated segment in the TrX (X=1–4) structures plays the dominant role in determining their electronic properties. UV/Vis data and cyclic voltammetry (CV) investigations have indicated that there is little electronic interaction between the arms, even for the shortest armed oligomer Tr1 . A clear linear relationship of both 1/λ_max and E_g with the inverse of (n+1) for these branched systems was found. Our findings highlight a novel molecular design comprising an ortho‐substituted, multiarmed architecture that would allow the introduction of isotropic physical and/or mechanical properties, while at the same time maintaining most of the important electronic properties of the rod‐shaped constituents of a fully conjugated system.     

1,8‐Naphthalimide‐Substituted BODIPY Dyads: Synthesis,Structure, Properties,and Live‐Cell Imaging

A set of 1,8‐naphthalimide (NPI)‐substituted 4,4‐difluoroboradiaza‐s‐indacene (BODIPY) dyads 1 a – 1 c were designed and synthesized by the Pd‐catalyzed Sonogashira cross‐coupling reaction of ethynyl substituted NPI 1 with the meso‐, β‐, and α‐halogenated BODIPYs a , b , and c , respectively. The BODIPY 1 c exhibits redshifted absorption, which suggests better electronic communication with substitution at the α‐position of BODIPY compared with at the meso and β positions, which was further supported by time‐dependent DFT calculations. The optical band gap follows the order 1 a > 1 b > 1 c . The single‐crystal X‐ray structures of dyads 1 a – 1 c are reported, which reflect planar orientations of the BODIPY units with respect to the NPIs. The DFT‐optimized structures show good correlation with the experimental data obtained from the single‐crystal X‐ray structures. The packing diagram of 1 a shows a sheet‐like arrangement, 1 b forms a ladder‐like structural motif, and 1 c forms a complex 3D structural arrangement. The dyads 1 a – 1 c show low cytotoxicity (IC₅₀>100 μm ). The confocal microscopy studies with HeLa and A375 cells (when treated with dyads 1 a – 1 c ) show that all the dyads easily enter the cell membrane and show significant multicolor intracellular fluorescence covering the entire visible range with clear emissions in blue, green, and red channels.     

Synthesis,Crystal Structures,and Properties of 6,12‐Diaryl‐Substituted Indeno[1,2‐b]fluorenes

Fused polycyclic indeno[1,2‐b]fluorene derivatives with aryl substituents at the 6,12‐positions have been prepared as a potential antiaromatic 20π electronic system. They showed strong absorptions in the visible region and amphoteric redox properties. The quinoid‐type molecular structures were revealed by X‐ray crystal‐structure analysis, which indicated that the bond lengths of the quinoid unit depend on the aryl substituents. Whereas nucleus‐independent chemical shift NICS(1) calculations indicate the antiaromatic nature of the s‐indacene core, they have higher stability than substituted acene derivatives. The derivatives with difluorophenyl or anthryl groups were stable in solution. Vapor‐deposited thin films showed ambipolar carrier transportation in the field‐effect transistor devices.     

Synthesis of Optically Active Tricyclic Ethers by Reactions of (−)‐β‐Pinene with Phenols in Organized Media

The reactions of (−)‐β‐pinene ( 1 ) with some methyl‐ and hydroxy‐substituted phenols on Hβ‐zeolite yield optically active products – tricyclic terpenyl phenyl ethers – in contrast to reactions in homogeneous media, which occur with loss of optical activity. The formation of these products is promoted by the presence of meta‐substituents in the phenol molecule.     

Regioselective `One‐Pot' Synthesis of Antipodal Bis‐adducts by Heating of Solid [5,6]Fullerene‐C60‐Ih and Anthracenes,Preliminary Communication

Antipodal (`trans‐1') Diels‐Alder bis‐adducts 3 and 7 – 9 of [5,6]fullerene‐C₆₀‐I_h ( 1 ) with some anthracenes were prepared highly regioselectively by heating mixtures of the solid 1 and anthracene or of (one of) three alkyl‐substituted anthracenes in the absence of solvents (Scheme 2). Other bis‐cycloadducts were not detected, but lesser amounts of mono‐cycloadducts 2 and 4 – 6 , respectively, were also formed. Heating of solvent‐free mixtures of 1 and three other alkyl‐substituted anthracenes did not result in a detectable amount of (antipodal) bis‐cycloadducts. The antipodal bis‐adduct 7 of 1 and of 1‐methylanthracene was analyzed by X‐ray crystallography. The preparative outcome of heating of anthracenes and solid 1 parallels the result of the heating of the corresponding crystalline mono‐adducts of anthracenes and 1 . Both approaches reveal a remarkably consistent dependence of the reaction upon the presence and position of alkyl substituents at the anthracene unit. The regioselective assembly of antipodal bis‐adducts from anthracene(s) and 1 cannot be rationalized by their (inherent molecular) stability, but it indicates the crucial control of the lattice.     

Air‐Stable Spirofluorene‐Containing Ladder‐Type Bis(alkynyl)borane Compounds with Readily Tunable Full Color Emission Properties

A series of air‐stable spiro‐fused ladder‐type boron(III) compounds has been designed, synthesized, and the electrochemistry and photophysical behavior have been characterized. By simply varying the substituents on the pyridine ring and extending the π‐conjugation of the spiro framework, the emission color of these compounds can be easily fine‐tuned spanning the visible spectrum from blue to red. All compounds exhibit a broad and structureless emission band across the entire visible region, assigned as an intramolecular charge‐transfer transition originating from the thiophene of the spiro framework to the pyridine‐borane moieties. In addition, these compounds demonstrate high photoluminescence quantum yields of up to 0.81 in dichloromethane solution and 0.86 in doped thin films. Some of the compounds have also been employed as emissive materials, in which solution‐processed organic light‐emitting devices (OLEDs) with tunable emission colors spanning the visible spectrum from blue, green to red have been realized, demonstrating the potential applications of these boron compounds in OLEDs.     

Structural explanation of the spectral features of the nonsymmetrical complex {2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18‐octaethyl‐5‐[(methylimino)methyl]porphyrinato‐κ4N21,N22,N23,N24}palladium(II)

The features of porphyrins defining their functionality are related to their conformational flexibility. The degree of nonplanarity of metalloporphyrins depends directly on the number of substituents, their size and their location. The introduction of substituents in the meso positions of β‐substituted porphyrins increases the steric interaction and leads to distortions of the porphyrin core. Increasing the distortion of the porphyrin core would augment the bathochromic (red) shift of the electronic absorption spectra. A new nonsymmetrical 2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18‐octaethyl‐5‐[(methylimino)methyl]porphyrin complex of palladium(II), [Pd(C₃₈H₄₇N₅)], was synthesized and characterized by NMR, mass spectrometry and X‐ray analysis. The features of the electronic absorption spectrum of the synthesized complex are explained by the planarity of the porphyrin core and the π‐system of the imino group orthogonal to it.     

Pyrenoimidazole‐Based Deep‐Blue‐Emitting Materials: Optical,Electrochemical, and Electroluminescent Characteristics

A series of pyrenoimidazoles that contained various functional chromophores, such as anthracene, pyrene, triphenylamine, carbazole, and fluorene, were synthesized and characterized by optical, electrochemical, and theoretical studies. The absorption spectra of the dyes are dominated by electronic transitions that arise from the pyrenoimidazole core and the additional chromophore. All of the dyes exhibited blue‐light photoluminescence with moderate‐to‐high quantum efficiencies. They also displayed high thermal stability and their thermal‐decomposition temperatures fell within the range 462–512 °C; the highest decomposition temperature was recorded for a carbazole‐containing dye. The oxidation propensity of the dyes increased on the introduction of electron‐rich chromophores, such as triphenylamine or carbazole. The application of selected dyes that featured additional chromophores such as pyrene, carbazole, and triphenylamine as blue‐emissive dopants into multilayered organic light‐emitting diodes with a 4,4′‐bis(9H‐carbazol‐9‐yl)biphenyl (CBP) host was investigated. Devices that were based on triphenylamine‐ and carbazole‐containing dyes exhibited deep‐blue emission (CIE 0.157, 0.054 and 0.163, 0.041), whereas a device that was based on a pyrene‐containing dye showed a bright‐blue emission (CIE 0.156, 0.135).     

Azido‐Substituted BODIPY Dyes for the Production of Fluorescent Carbon Nanotubes

A series of azido‐dyes were synthesized through Knoevenagel reactions of an azido‐BODIPY with aromatic aldehydes. The nature of the substituents allowed the fine tuning of their spectroscopic properties. The dyes were used to decorate oxidized multiwalled carbon nanotubes (ox‐MWCNTs), bearing terminal triple bond groups, by CuAAC reactions, affording fluorescent materials. This decoration allowed the efficient determination of the internalization of the ox‐MWCNT derivatives by different model cancer cells, such as MCF7.     

Highly Soluble and Green Indigo Dyes: 4,4′,7,7′‐Tetraalkoxy‐5,5′‐diaminoindigotins

Two new types of 4,4′,7,7′‐tetraalkoxyindigotins, 1a – f and 2a – f along with the new N‐substituted indigotins 4e – f , were synthesized from dinitrobenzaldehydes 5a – f , which were prepared from 2‐hydroxy‐5‐methoxybenzaldehyde ( 7 ) via dialkoxybenzaldehydes 6a – f (Scheme). The new dialkoxyindigotin 3g was obtained from dialkoxybenzaldehyde 6g via nitrobenzaldehyde 8g . The 1,4‐dialkoxy‐2,3‐dinitrobenzenes 9 were isolated as by‐products. The 4,4′,7,7′‐tetraalkoxy‐5,5′‐diaminoindigotins 1 are soluble in organic solvents, and their solutions are green, which is highly uncommon for indigotins and is primarily caused by electronic effects of substituents, steric effects playing a minor role. The indigotins 1 produce a strong red shift of the longest‐wavelength absorption and negative solvatochromism indicating the predominance of polar resonance structures in the ground state. Tautomeric structures were excluded. These indigotins are valuable compounds for technical applications, for synthetic purposes, and for analytical studies. SANS (Small‐angle neutron scattering) experiments showed that certain 4,4′,7,7′‐tetraalkoxy‐5,5′‐diaminoindigotins 1 form rod‐like aggregates in solution. The similarly substituted 4,4′,7,7′‐tetraalkoxy‐5,5′‐dinitroindigotins 2 are far less soluble. They produce red monoanions (preferably dimers) and bluish‐purple dianions in organic solvents.     

Aza‐BODIPY Derivatives: Enhanced Quantum Yields of Triplet Excited States and the Generation of Singlet Oxygen and their Role as Facile Sustainable Photooxygenation Catalysts

A new series of aza‐BODIPY derivatives ( 4 a – 4 c , 5 a , c , and 6 b , c ) were synthesized and their excited‐state properties, such as their triplet excited state and the yield of singlet‐oxygen generation, were tuned by substituting with heavy atoms, such as bromine and iodine. The effect of substitution has been studied in detail by varying the position of halogenation. The core‐substituted dyes showed high yields of the triplet excited state and high efficiencies of singlet‐oxygen generation when compared to the peripheral‐substituted systems. The dye 6 c , which was substituted with six iodine atoms on the core and peripheral phenyl ring, showed the highest quantum yields of the triplet excited state (Φ_T=0.86) and of the efficiency of singlet‐oxygen generation (Φ_Δ=0.80). Interestingly, these dyes were highly efficient as photooxygenation catalysts under artificial light, as well as under normal sunlight conditions. The uniqueness of these aza‐BODIPY systems is that they are stable under irradiation conditions, possess strong red‐light absorption (620–680 nm), exhibit high yields of singlet‐oxygen generation, and act as efficient and sustainable catalysts for photooxygenation reactions.