Strongly Phosphorescent Palladium(II) Complexes of Tetradentate Ligands with Mixed Oxygen, Carbon, and Nitrogen Donor Atoms: Photophysics, Photochemistry, and Applications

Dinuclear PtII Complexes with Strong Blue Phosphorescence for Operational Stable Organic Light-Emitting Diodes with EQE up to 23% at 1000 cd m-2

Here we describe the synthesis and characterization of a new class of dinuclear PtII complexes with blue phosphorescence. Bulky N-heterocyclic carbene and tethered bridging ligands were employed to suppress photo-induced structural changes and to improve thermal stability of the complexes. These complexes show mixed 3IL/3MLCT blue emission (~460 nm) with emission quantum yields of up to 0.95, emission lifetimes of as low as 1.3 µs and radiative decay rate constants of up to 7.3 × 105 s-1 in 4 wt% doped PMMA films; the latter is attributed to a 1MLCT excited state having high metal character (resulting in large SOC) and a large transition dipole moment, based on DFT calculations. Phosphor-sensitized blue hyperOLEDs with Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage (CIE) coordinates of (0.13, 0.12) showed maximum EQE of 23.4% with full-width-at-half-maximum of 18 nm and LT50 > 250 h at an L0 of 1000 cd m-2.

Phosphorescent κ3 -(N^C^C)-Gold(III) Complexes: Synthesis, Photophysics, Computational Studies and Application to Solution-Processable OLEDs

Efficient OLED devices have been fabricated using organometallic complexes of platinum group metals. Still, the high material cost and low stability represent central challenges for their application in commercial display technologies. Based on its innate stability, gold(III) complexes are emerging as promising candidates for high-performance OLEDs. Here, a series of alkynyl-, N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)- and aryl-gold(III) complexes stabilized by a κ³ -(N^C^C) template have been prepared and their photophysical properties have been characterized in detail. These compounds exhibit good photoluminescence quantum efficiency (η_PL ) of up to 33 %. The PL emission can be tuned from sky-blue to yellowish green colors by variations on both the ancillary ligands as well as on the pincer template. Further, solution-processable OLED devices based on some of these complexes display remarkable emissive properties (η_CE 46.6 cd.A^-1 and η_ext 14.0 %), thus showcasing the potential of these motifs for the low-cost fabrication of display and illumination technologies.

Non-emissive RuII Polypyridyl Complexes as Efficient and Selective Photosensitizers for the Photooxidation of Benzylamines

Five new Ru^II polypyridyl complexes bearing N-(arylsulfonyl)-8-amidoquinolate ligands and three of their biscyclometalated Ir^III congeners have been prepared and employed as photocatalysts (PCs) in the photooxidation of benzylamines with O₂ . In particular, the new Ru^II complexes do not exhibit photoluminescence, rather they harvest visible light efficiently and are very stable in solution under irradiation with blue light. Their non-emissive behavior has been related to the low electrochemical energy gaps and rationalized on the basis of theoretical calculations (DFT analysis) that predict low S₀ ←T₁ energy values. Moreover, the Ru^II complexes, despite being non-emissive, display excellent activities in the selective photocatalytic transformation of benzylamines into the corresponding imines. The presence of an electron-withdrawing group (-CF3) on the arene ring of the N-(arylsulfonyl)-8-amidoquinolate ligand improves the photocatalytic activity of the corresponding photocatalyst. Furthermore, all the experimental evidence, including transient absorption spectroscopy measurements suggest that singlet oxygen is the actual oxidant. The Ir^III analogues are considerably more photosensitive and consequently less efficient photosensitizers (PSs).

Luminescent Tungsten(VI) Complexes: Photophysics and Applicability to Organic Light-Emitting Diodes and Photocatalysis

The synthesis, excited-state dynamics, and applications of two series of air-stable luminescent tungsten(VI) complexes are described. These tungsten(VI) complexes show phosphorescence in the solid state and in solutions with emission quantum yields up to 22 % in thin film (5 % in mCP) at room temperature. Complex 2 c, containing a 5,7-diphenyl-8-hydroxyquinolinate ligand, displays prompt fluorescence (blue-green) and phosphorescence (red) of comparable intensity, which could be used for ratiometric luminescent sensing. Solution-processed organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) based on 1 d showed a stable yellow emission with an external quantum efficiency (EQE) and luminance up to 4.79 % and 1400 cd m^-2 respectively. These tungsten(VI) complexes were also applied in light-induced aerobic oxidation reactions.

Factors influencing the regioselectivity of the oxidation of asymmetric secondary amines with singlet oxygen

Aerobic amine oxidation is an attractive and elegant process for the α functionalization of amines. However, there are still several mechanistic uncertainties, particularly the factors governing the regioselectivity of the oxidation of asymmetric secondary amines and the oxidation rates of mixed primary amines. Herein, it is reported that singlet-oxygen-mediated oxidation of 1° and 2° amines is sensitive to the strength of the α-C-H bond and steric factors. Estimation of the relative bond dissociation energy by natural bond order analysis or by means of one-bond C-H coupling constants allowed the regioselectivity of secondary amine oxidations to be explained and predicted. In addition, the findings were utilized to synthesize highly regioselective substrates and perform selective amine cross-couplings to produce imines.

Exploring excited-state tunability in luminescent tris-cyclometalated platinum(IV) complexes: synthesis of heteroleptic derivatives and computational calculations

The synthesis, structure, electrochemistry, and photophysical properties of a series of heteroleptic tris- cyclometalated Pt(IV) complexes are reported. The complexes mer-[Pt(C^N)2 (C'^N')]OTf, with C^N=C-deprotonated 2-(2,4-difluorophenyl)pyridine (dfppy) or 2-phenylpyridine (ppy), and C'^N'=C-deprotonated 2-(2-thienyl)pyridine (thpy) or 1-phenylisoquinoline (piq), were obtained by reacting bis- cyclometalated precursors [Pt(C^N)2 Cl2] with AgOTf (2 equiv) and an excess of the N'^C'H pro-ligand. The complex mer-[Pt(dfppy)2 (ppy)]OTf was obtained analogously and photoisomerized to its fac counterpart. The new complexes display long-lived luminescence at room temperature in the blue to orange color range. The emitting states involve electronic transitions almost exclusively localized on the ligand with the lowest π-π* energy gap and have very little metal character. DFT and time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) calculations on mer-[Pt(ppy)2 (C'^N')](+) (C'^N'=thpy, piq) and mer/fac-[Pt(ppy)3](+) support this assignment and provide a basis for the understanding of the luminescence of tris-cyclometalated Pt(IV) complexes. Excited states of LMCT character may become thermally accessible from the emitting state in the mer isomers containing dfppy or ppy as chromophoric ligands, leading to strong nonradiative deactivation. This effect does not operate in the fac isomers or the mer complexes containing thpy or piq, for which nonradiative deactivation originates mainly from vibrational coupling to the ground state.