Ligand localized triplet excited states in platinum(II) bipyridyl and terpyridyl peryleneacetylides

An investigation of the photophysics of two complexes, Pt((t)Bu3tpy)(C triple bond C-perylene)]BF4 (1) and Pt((t)Bu2bpy)(C triple bond C-perylene)2 (2), where (t)Bu3tpy is 4,4',4'-tri( tert-butyl)-2,2':6',2'-terpyridine, (t)Bu2bpy is 4,4'-di( tert-butyl)-2,2'-bipyridine, and C triple bond C-perylene is 3-ethynylperylene, reveals that they both exhibit perylene-centered ligand localized excited triplet states ((3)IL) upon excitation with visible light. These complexes do not display any significant photoluminescence at room temperature but readily sensitize (1)O2 in aerated CH2Cl2 solutions, as evidenced by its characteristic emission near 1270 nm. The transient absorption difference spectra were compared to bi- and tridentate phosphine peryleneacetylides intended to model the (3)IL peryleneacetylide excited states in addition to the related phenylacetylide-bearing polyimine analogues, with the latter model being the respective triplet charge-transfer ((3)CT) excited states. The transient difference spectra of the two title compounds display excited-state absorptions largely attributable to perylene localized (3)IL states yet exhibit somewhat attenuated excited-state lifetimes relative to those of the phosphine model chromophores. The abbreviated lifetimes in 1 and 2 may suggest the involvement of the energetically proximate (3)CT triplet state exerting an influence on excited-state decay, and the effect appears to be stronger in 1 relative to 2, consistent with the energies of their respective (3)CT states.