Syntheses and properties of two-dimensional, dicationic nonlinear optical chromophores based on pyrazinyl cores

Six new dicationic 2D nonlinear optical (NLO) chromophores with pyrazinyl-pyridinium electron acceptors have been synthesized by nucleophilic substitutions of 2,6-dichloropyrazine with pyridyl derivatives. These compounds have been characterized as their PF(6)(-) salts by using various techniques including electronic absorption spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. Large red shifts in the intense, π → π* intramolecular charge-transfer (ICT) transitions on replacing -OMe with -NMe(2) substituents arise from the stronger π-electron donor ability of the latter. Each compound shows a number of redox processes which are largely irreversible. Single crystal X-ray structures have been determined for five salts, including two nitrates, all of which adopt centrosymmetric packing arrangements. Molecular first hyperpolarizabilities β have been determined by using femtosecond hyper-Rayleigh scattering at 880 and 800 nm, and depolarization studies show that the NLO responses of the symmetric species are strongly 2D, with dominant "off-diagonal" β(zyy) components. Stark (electroabsorption) spectroscopic measurements on the ICT bands afford estimated static first hyperpolarizabilities β(0). The directly and indirectly derived β values are large, and the Stark-derived β(0) response for one of the new salts is several times greater than that determined for (E)-4'-(dimethylamino)-N-methyl-4-stilbazolium hexafluorophosphate. These Stark spectroscopic studies also permit quantitative comparisons with related 2D, binuclear Ru(II) ammine complex salts.     

Quadratic and cubic nonlinear optical properties of salts of diquat-based chromophores with diphenylamino substituents

A series of chromophoric salts has been prepared in which 4-(diphenylamino)phenyl (Dpap) electron donor groups are connected to electron-accepting diquaternized 2,2'-bipyridyl (diquat) units. The main aim is to combine large quadratic and cubic nonlinear optical (NLO) effects in potentially redox-switchable molecules with 2D structures. The chromophores have been characterized as their PF(6)(-) salts by using various techniques including electronic absorption spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. The visible absorption spectra are dominated by intense π → π* intramolecular charge-transfer (ICT) bands, and all of the compounds show two reversible or quasireversible diquat-based reductions and partially reversible Dpap oxidations. Single crystal X-ray structures have been obtained for one salt and for the precursor compound (E)-4-(diphenylamino)cinnamaldehyde, both of which adopt centrosymmetric space groups. First hyperpolarizabilities β have been measured by using hyper-Rayleigh scattering (HRS) with a 800 nm laser, and Stark (electroabsorption) spectroscopy of the ICT bands affords estimated static first hyperpolarizabilities β(0). The directly and indirectly derived β values are large and generally increased substantially for the bis-Dpap derivatives when compared with their monosubstituted analogues. Polarized HRS studies show that the NLO responses of the disubstituted species are dominated by "off-diagonal" β(zyy) components. Lengthening the diquaternizing alkyl unit lowers the electron-acceptor strength and therefore increases the ICT energies and decreases the E(1/2) values for diquat reduction. However, compensating increases in the ICT intensity prevent significant decreases in the Stark-based β(0) responses. Cubic NLO properties have been measured by using the Z-scan technique over a wavelength range of 520-1600 nm, revealing relatively high two-photon absorption cross-sections of up to 730 GM at 620 nm for one of the disubstituted chromophores.     

Reaction behaviour of dinuclear copper(I) complexes with m-xylyl-based ligands towards dioxygen

Intramolecular ligand hydroxylation was observed during the reactions of dioxygen with the dicopper(I) complexes of the ligands L(1)(L(1)=alpha,alpha'-bis[(2-pyridylethyl)amino]-m-xylene) and L(3)(L(3)=alpha, alpha'-bis[N-(2-pyridylethyl)-N-(2-pyridylmethyl)amino]-m-xylene). The dinuclear copper(I) complex [Cu(2)L(3)](ClO(4))(2) and the dicopper(II) complex [Cu(2)(L(1)-O)(OH)(ClO(4))]ClO(4) were characterized by single-crystal X-ray structure analysis. Furthermore, phenolate-bridged complexes were synthesized with the ligand L(2)-OH (structurally characterized [Cu(2)(L(2)-O)Cl(3)] with L(2)=alpha, alpha'-bis[N-methyl-N-(2-pyridylethyl)amino]-m-xylene; synthesized from the reaction between [Cu(2)(L(2)-O)(OH)](ClO(4))(2) and Cl(-)) and Me-L(3)-OH: [Cu(2)(Me-L(3)-O)(mu-X)](ClO(4))(2)xnH(2)O (Me-L(3)-OH = 2,6-bis[N-(2-pyridylethyl)-N-(2-pyridylmethyl)amino]-4-methylphenol and X = C(3)H(3)N(2)(-)(prz), MeCO(2)(-) and N(3)(-)). The magnetochemical characteristics of compounds were determined by temperature-dependent magnetic studies, revealing their antiferromagnetic behaviour [-2J(in cm(-1)) values: -92, -86 and -88; -374].