Light-emitting tridentate cyclometalated platinum(II) complexes containing sigma-alkynyl auxiliaries: tuning of photo- and electrophosphorescence

The synthesis and structural, photophysical, electrochemical, and electroluminescent properties of a class of platinum(II) complexes bearing sigma-alkynyl ancillary ligands, namely (C/N/N)Pt(Ctriple bond]C]nR] H(C/N/N) = 6-aryl-2,2'-bipyridine; n = 1-4; R = aryl, alkyl, or trimethylsilyl], have been studied. Substituents with different steric and electronic properties were introduced into the tridentate cyclometalating and arylacetylide ligands, and the pi-conjugation length of the oligoynyl moiety was homologously extended from ethynyl to octatetraynyl. The X-ray crystal structures of several derivatives confirm the Pt-(CC) ligation and reveal various intermolecular interactions, such as pi-pi, Pt...Pt, and C-H...F-C. The complexes display good thermal stability and intense phosphorescence in fluid and glassy solutions with high quantum yields and microsecond lifetimes. Their emission energies are sensitive to solvent polarity, the electronic affinities of the substituents on both the cyclometalating and arylacetylide groups, and the length of the oligoynyl ligand. By choosing appropriate cyclometalating and sigma-alkynyl ligands, the emission color of this class of platinum(II) complexes can be tuned from green-yellow to saturated red. In addition to (3)MLCT Pt(5d) --> pi*(C/N/N)] and (3)IL(C/N/N), intriguing (3)IL(alkynyl) excited states localized on -(Ctriple bond]C)(4)- and -(Ctriple bond]Cpyrenyl-1) moieties that afford narrow-bandwidth emissions have been observed. Selected Pt(II) complexes were doped into the emissive region of multilayer, vapor-deposited organic light-emitting diodes. The tunable electrophosphorescence energy resembles that recorded in fluid solutions for these emitters, and the devices exhibit high luminance and efficiencies (up to 4.2 cd A(-1)).