Electronic and vibrational properties of fluorenone in the channels of zeolite L

Fluorenone (C13H8O) was inserted into the channels of zeolite L by using gas-phase adsorption. The size, structure, and stability of fluorenone are well suited for studying host-guest interactions. The Fourier transform IR, Raman, luminescence, and excitation spectra, in addition to thermal analysis data, of fluorenone in solution and fluorenone/zeolite L are reported. Normal coordinate analysis of fluorenone was performed, based on which IR and Raman bands were assigned, and an experimental force field was determined. The vibrational spectra can be used for nondestructive quantitative analysis by comparing a characteristic dye band with a zeolite band that has been chosen as the internal standard. Molecular orbital calculations were performed to gain a better understanding of the electronic structure of the system and to support the interpretation of the electronic absorption and luminescence spectra. Fluorenone shows unusual luminescence behavior in that it emits from two states. The relative intensity of these two bands depends strongly on the environment and changes unexpectedly in response to temperature. In fluorenone/zeolite L, the intensity of the 300 nm band (lifetime 9 micros) increases with decreasing temperature, while the opposite is true for the 400 nm band (lifetime 115 micros). A model of the host-guest interaction is derived from the experimental results and calculations: the dye molecule sits close to the channel walls with the carbonyl group pointing to an Al3+ site of the zeolite framework. A secondary interaction was observed between the fluorenone's aromatic ring and the zeolite's charge-compensating cations.     

Preparation and optical investigation of monodisperse oligo(9,9-dioctylfluorene)s containing one fluorenone unit

A set of monodisperse oligo(9,9-dioctylfuorene)s, each containing only one fluorenone unit, was synthesized by using iterative Suzuki cross-coupling and iododesilylation reactions. Their optical properties were also investigated.     

Photo-induced metal-free ATRP of MMA with 2,7-bi-(N-penothiazinyl)fluorenone as photocatalyst

In this study, 2,7-bi-(N-penothiazinyl)fluorenone was employed as photocatalyst (PC), ethyl α-bromophenylacetate (EBP) as atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) initiator, and photo-induced metal-free ATRP of methyl methacrylate (MMA) was performed at 25°C under blue light irradiation. PMMAs with well-defined architectures and precisely controlled chain lengths were synthsized. The kinetics results confirmed that molecular weights increased linearly with monomer consumption. The molecular weight distributions (M_w/M_n) of the resultant PMMA were narrow. The polymerization was activated and deactivated by periodic light control process. ¹H nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometer (NMR) and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) were used to characterize the obtained PMMAs. The living characters of the polymerization system were further confirmed by chain extension of from the PMMA-Br macroinitiator.     

Organic Crystal Growth: Directly from Amorphous Solid Powder to Single Crystals

Preparation of organic crystals mainly depends on solution-deposition, sublimation, and melt-deposition techniques. Solid-state growth methods are generally not suitable for organic crystal growth due to the unprocurable mass transfer. Herein, we report two pyridine-substituted fluorenone compounds with extraordinary crystal-growth capacity, and these compounds can directly and quickly form single crystals from their amorphous solid powder by heating under antisolvent-assistance conditions. The novel experimental phenomenon and crystal growth mechanism were investigated in depth. The results indicate that multiple intermolecular hydrogen-bonding sites and planar aromatic structure (prone to π-π interactions) of these molecules dominate the mass transfer during crystal growth by providing enough energy. This discovery enhances our knowledge of solid-state methods for single-crystal growth.     

Bromination of 5‐Methoxyindane: Synthesis of New Benzoindenone Derivatives and Ready Access to 7H‐Benzo[c]fluoren‐7‐one Skeleton

The photobromination of 5‐methoxyindane and 5‐methoxyindanone was studied at both high and low temperatures. 1,2,3‐Tribromo‐6‐methoxyindene was easily synthesized by photolytic bromination of 5‐methoxyindane at low temperature. 1,1,2,3‐Tetrabromo‐6‐methoxyindene was obtained from the photobromination of 5‐methoxyindan at 77 °C, which could then be easily converted to the 2,3‐dibromo‐6‐methoxyindene by silver‐supported hydrolysis. Photochemical bromination of 5‐methoxy‐1‐indanone with N‐bromosuccinimide (NBS) gave 3‐bromo‐6‐methoxyindene, which upon thermolysis gave a benzo[c]fluorenone derivative.     

Tuning HOMO–LUMO levels: trends leading to the design of 9‐fluorenone scaffolds with predictable electronic and optoelectronic properties

Highest occupied molecular orbital–lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (HOMO–LUMO) tuning is an important consideration in the development of organic‐based semiconducting materials. A study of the specific effects and overall trends for the HOMO–LUMO tuning of a diverse series of 9‐fluorenones by means of extended conjugation and substituent effects is described. Trends were explored in a range of compounds, beginning with structures having highly electron‐withdrawing substituents and progressing to structures having highly electron‐donating substituents. Compounds with an incremental increase in conjugation were also examined. Electrochemical and optical measurements were used to calculate the HOMO–LUMO levels and HOMO–LUMO bandgap (HLG) for each structure. Results from both methods were compared and correlated with the differences in molecular structure. Increasing the electron‐donating character of the substituents was observed to decrease the HLG and increase the energy levels of the HOMO and the LUMO, whereas an increase in the electron‐withdrawing character produced the opposite results. Increasing conjugation decreased the HLG, increased the HOMO energy level, but decreased the LUMO energy level. Spectroscopic evidence of substituent influence on the carbonyl suggests that substituents directly impact the HLG by influencing the availability of nonbonding electrons within the carbonyl, which impacts the probability of an nπ* transition. The data presented not only elaborate on the HOMO–LUMO tuning of 9‐fluorenone systems but also enable the consideration of 9‐fluorenones as analogous models for HOMO–LUMO tuning in other more complex polyaromatic systems such as bifluorenylidenes. These trends may provide insight into developing materials with specifically tuned HLGs and HOMO–LUMO levels for a variety of applications. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Synthesis and properties of first representatives of crownophanes containing the f luorenone and naphthalene fragments

A new family of crownophanes containing the fluorenone and naphthalene fragments linked by oligo(oxyethylene) bridges were synthesized. Reactions of these ligands with the paraquat dication gave inclusion complexes of the pseudorotaxane type that were detected by FAB mass spectrometry, ¹H NMR spectroscopy, and electronic absorption spectroscopy. Published in Russian in Izvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 5, pp. 951–957, May, 2007.     

Prediction of the 13C NMR Chemical Shifts of Fluorenone Analogues by the GIAO Method

After the geometry optimization at B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p) level,the NMR calcula-tions of a series of fluorenone analogues have been carried out by GIAO method at HF/6-31+G(d) level and B3LYP/6-311G+(2d,p) level,respectively.The 13C NMR chemical shifts calculated at HF/6-31+G(d) level show better agreement with the observed values.By a series of linear correction equations (δpred=a + bδcalc),accurate prediction of 13C chemical shifts was achieved for the new fluorenone compound.The linear correlation of δpred with δexptl is excellent,and the square of correlation coefficient,r2,is up to 0.994.The maximum absolute difference between δpred and δexptl,Δδ,is 4.6 ppm,and the root-mean-square error between δpred and δexptl is only 2.6 ppm.     

Bis(fluorenono)phanes: a new class of perspective macrocyclic receptors

Two representatives of a novel class of cyclophanes containing two fragments of 2,7-dioxy-9H-fluoren-9-one bridged by triethylene glycol and p-xylyl linking units have been prepared. X-Ray analysis shows that the former has an anti-conformation and the cavity is self-filling with fluorenone moieties.