Multi-Input/Multi-Output Molecular Response System Based on the Dynamic Redox Behavior of 3,3,4,4-Tetraaryldihydro[5]helicene Derivatives: Reversible Formation/Destruction of Chiral Fluorophore and Modulation of Chiroptical Properties by Solvent Polarity

Near-Infrared, Organic Chiroptic Switch with High Dissymmetry Factors

Here we unveil a chiral molecular redox switch derived from PDI-based twistacenes─chPDI[2] that has the remarkable attributes of high-intensity and a broadband chiral response. This material exhibits facile, stable, and reversible multistate chiroptical switching behavior over a broad active wavelength range close to 700 nm, encompassing ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared regions. Upon reduction, chPDI[2] exhibits a substantial increase in the amplitude of its circular dichroic response, with an outstanding |ΔΔε| > 300 M-1 cm-1 and a high dissymmetry factor of 3 × 10-2 at 960 nm. DFT calculations suggest that the long wavelength CD signal for doubly reduced chPDI[2] originates from excitation of the PDI backbone to the π* orbital of the bridging alkene. Importantly, the dimer's molecular contortion facilitates ionic diffusion, enabling chiral switching in solid state films. The high dissymmetry factors and near-infrared response establish chPDI[2] as a unique chiroptic switch.

A multi-input/multi-output molecular system based on lanthanide(III) complexes

Developing multi-input/multi-output (MIMO) molecular systems for information processing is of great significance in the sophisticated human-made and natural processes. Herein, we present a novel design strategy of incorporating two azobenzene...

Stereochemistry and chiroptical properties of bimetallic single helicates of hexapyrrole-α, ω-dicarbaldimines with high diastereoselectivity

Bimetallic complexes of hexapyrrole-[Formula: see text],[Formula: see text]-dicarbaldimines consisting of a pair of four-coordinate metal sites adopt a helical closed [Formula: see text]-symmetric form or sigmoidal open forms depending on whether the 2,2[Formula: see text]-bipyrrole subunit at the center of the hexapyrrole chain takes cis- or trans-conformation. X-ray crystallography of a bisNi complex having N-[([Formula: see text]-1-cyclohexylethyl]carbaldimine units at both ends of the hexapyrrole chain revealed a non-symmetric heterohelical open form where the metal coordination sites of opposite helical sense sit on opposite sides of the central 2,2[Formula: see text]-bipyrrole subunit. BisPd complexes preferred a closed [Formula: see text] form and a steric bulk at the 3,3[Formula: see text]-position of the 2,2[Formula: see text]-bipyrrole subunit improved the helical sense bias. A bisPd complex with N-[([Formula: see text]-1-cyclohexylethyl]carbaldimine units adopts a helical closed [Formula: see text] form exclusively with full bias for a [Formula: see text]-helical sense. These bimetallic single stranded helicates were reversibly oxidized to [Formula: see text]-cation radicals at 0.1[Formula: see text]0.3 V vs. a ferrocene/ferrocenium couple and spectroelectrochemistry revealed remarkable absorption and CD spectral changes in the Vis-NIR region.

Redox-active tetraaryldibenzoquinodimethanes

Quinodimethanes (QDs) are a class of non-aromatic π-conjugated compounds that are well-known to be interconvertible scaffolds in many response systems. While parent ortho- and para-QDs (o-QD and p-QD) can be easily converted to benzocyclobutenes or oligomers/polymers by the formation of C-C bonds at α-positions, the attachment of four phenyl groups to these reactive sites makes o-Ph₄QD and p-Ph₄QD long-lived. We have demonstrated that further dibenzo-annulation of such tetraaryl QD units also drastically increases their stability, and many tetraarylated dibenzoquinodimethane derivatives have been developed. This Feature Article shows our milestones in creating functional redox systems, where drastic changes in structure occur upon electron transfer (dynamic redox "dyrex" behaviour).

ECD spectroelectrochemistry: A review

The electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectroscopy is probably the most important chiraloptical method, and the role of chirality in contemporary chemistry, pharmacy, and material science constantly increases. On the other hand, the electrochemical methods are also very sensitive tools for studying multivarious redox processes. Nevertheless, the first ECD spectroelectrochemical (SEC) study was only published by Daub, Salbeck and Aurbach in 1988, and since then, the ECD SEC method has been mentioned in only thirty papers. By the summer of 2020, the ECD SEC studies were mainly focused around molecular systems for organic, and marginally, inorganic chiroptical switching studies of biochemical redox reactions. The review provides more details about the ECD SEC studies carried out so far. At the end, we suggest some future applications for the ECD spectroelectrochemistry.

Hash-Mark-Shaped Azaacene Tetramers with Axial Chirality

The tetramers of azapentacene derivatives with unique hash mark (#)-shaped structures were prepared in a quite facile manner. The #-shaped tetramers are optically active due to possessing extended biaryl skeletons, and the structure of the tetramer composed of four dihydrodiazapentacene (DHDAP) units (1) was investigated as the first example of this kind of molecule. The tetramer 1 showed characteristic chiroptical properties reflecting its orthogonally arranged quadruple DHDAP moieties, as well as redox activity. The solution of enantiopure 1 exhibited intense circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) with a dissymmetry factor of 2.5 × 10^-3. The absolute configuration of the enantiomers of 1 was experimentally determined by X-ray crystal analysis for the dication salt of the enantiomer of 1 with SbCl₆^- counterions. The solutions of enantiopure 1²⁺·2[SbCl₆^-] also showed NIR circular dichroism (CD) spectra over the entire range from visible to 1100 nm, enabling the modulation of the chiroptical properties by redox stimuli.

Intense redox-driven chiroptical switching with a 580 mV hysteresis actuated through reversible dimerization of an azoniahelicene

Electrochemical reduction of an azoniahelicene affords a dimer, accompanied by a strong change in the electronic circular dichroism. The fast dimerisation event leads to a >500 mV shift of the oxidation potential, affording a large area of bistability, where the chiroptical signal only depends on the redox history.

9,10-Dihydrophenanthrene with Two Spiro(dibenzocycloheptatriene) Units: A Highly Strained Caged Hydrocarbon Exhibiting Reversible Electrochromic Behavior

The title dispiro hydrocarbon 1 was designed as a new electrochromic material. This multiply clamped hexaphenylethane-type electron donor was prepared from 2,2′-diiodobiphenyl via biphenyl-2,2′-diylbis(dibenzotropylium) 2²⁺ salt. X-ray analysis of 1 revealed a highly strained structure as reflected by an elongated “ethane” bond [bond length: 1.6665(17) Å] and nearly eclipsed conformation. The weakened bond was cleaved upon two-electron oxidation to regenerate the deeply colored dication 2²⁺. The reversible interconversion between 1 and 2²⁺ is accompanied not only by a drastic color change but also by C–C bond formation/cleavage. Thus, the voltammogram showed a pair of well-separated redox waves, which is characteristic of “dynamic redox (dyrex)” behavior. The tetrahydro derivative of 1 with two units of spiro(dibenzocycloheptadiene), which suffers from more severe steric congestion, was also prepared. The crystallographically determined bond length for the central C–C bond [1.705(4) Å] is greatest among the values reported for 9,9,10,10-tetraaryl-9,10-dihydrophenanthrene derivatives.

Bis(diarylethenyl)-thiophenes, -bithiophenes, and -terthiophenes: a new series of electrochromic systems that exhibit a fluorescence response

2,5-Bis(diarylethenyl)thiophenes (1) and their bithiophene (2) and terthiophene (3) homologues were designed as a new series of violene/cyanine-hybrid-type electrochromic materials. Alkoxyphenyl and dialkylaminophenyl groups are used as the aryl group in the cyanine parts of 1/2/3O and 1/2/3N, respectively, which emit fluorescence in the neutral state but not in the oxidized state. Voltammetric analyses of 18 newly prepared electron donors show that they all undergo two reversible one-electron oxidations. Redox potentials, UV–vis spectral features, and fluorescence quantum yields are important parameters for characterizing the present electrochromic behavior with a fluorescence response, and can be finely tuned by changing aryl groups in the cyanine part, the number of thiophene rings in the violene part, and the alkyl-chain length of the alkoxyphenyl or diaklylaminophenyl groups (R = CH3, C8H17, C16H33), which makes this a versatile platform for the design of novel electrochromic materials.

Carbo[5]helicene versus planar phenanthrene as a scaffold for organic materials in OLEDs: the electroluminescence of anthracene-functionalized emissive materials

Rigid and twisted carbo[5]helicene imparts better physical and electroluminescence properties than planar phenantherene for phenylanthracene-functionalized emissive materials.

Two-way chromic interconversion of the 2,2′-biphenol-6,6′-diyl dication with 5H,10H-dioxapyrene or 9H,10H-4,5-dihydroxyphenanthrene

Two-proton or two-electron transfer of the title biphenolic dication proceeds nearly simultaneously to induce 2,6′/2′,6- or 6,6′-bond formation to give dioxapyrene or dihydrophenanthrene derivatives, respectively, with vivid changes in color.

Deformation of redox-active polymer gel based on polysiloxane backbone and bis(benzodithiolyl)bithienyl scaffold

Redox-active polymer gels consisting of polysiloxane backbone and bis(benzodithiolyl)bithienyl units have been designed and synthesized. The bis(benzodithiolyl)bithienyl units, which undergo interconversion between cyclic form and opened dicationic form, have been incorporated into polysiloxane backbone via hydrosilylation of vinyl-terminated bis(benzodithiolyl)bithienyl derivative and poly(methylhydrosiloxane) (PMHS) or poly(dimethylsiloxane-co-hydrogenmethylsiloxane) (PDMS-co-PMHS), resulting in polymer gels cross-linked with bis(benzodithiolyl)bithienyl units. After the incorporation of M1 into polysiloxane backbone, these polymer gels (P1 and P2) also exhibit redox responses associated with the electrochemical interconversion of the bis(benzodithiolyl)bithienyl moieties. The polymer gels show swelling behavior upon chemical oxidization, and bending behavior has been observed for the polymer gel immobilized poly(vinylidene difluoride) (PVdF) film. These results provide a useful perspective for fabricating redox-triggered polymer gel actuators based on the conformational change of the functional molecular unit.

Hysteretic Tricolor Electrochromic Systems Based on the Dynamic Redox Properties of Unsymmetrically Substituted Dihydrophenanthrenes and Biphenyl-2,2'-Diyl Dications: Efficient Precursor Synthesis by a Flow Microreactor Method

A series of biphenyl-2,2'-diylbis(diarylmethanol)s 3, which have two kinds of aryl groups at the bay region, were efficiently obtained by integrated flow microreactor synthesis. The diols 3NO/NX are the precursors of unsymmetric biphenylic dications 2NO/NX²⁺, which are transformed into the corresponding dihydrophenanthrenes 1NO/NX via 2NO/NX^+• upon reduction, when they exhibit two-stage color changes. On the other hand, the steady-state concentration of the intermediate 2NO/NX^+• is negligible during the oxidation of 1NO/NX to 2NO/NX²⁺, which reflects unique tricolor electrochromicity with a hysteretic pattern of color change [color 1→color 2→color 3→color 1].

Drastic change in racemization barrier upon redox reactions: novel chiral-memory units based on dynamic redox systems

The helical configuration of dication dyes 2(2+) with a dihydrodibenzoxepin unit remained unchanged even at high temperature, whereas the corresponding neutral electron donors 1 with a tetrahydrophenanthroxepin skeleton easily underwent racemization. Due to their electrochemical bistability, electron exchange between 1 and 2(2+) is prohibited. Thus, the above electrochromic pairs can serve as novel chiral-memory units where redox reactions trigger switching between an "erasable/writable"-state (1) and a "memorizing"-state (2(2+)).