Confined supramolecular polymers in water with exceptional stability, photoluminescence and chiroptical properties

Lipid-encased chiral supramolecular polymer nanorods (SPNRs), synthesized by the nanoprecipitation method in water from a hydrophobic naphthalene-diimide derivative, exhibit excellent thermal stability, intense fluorescence and strong CPL.

Pure Organic Room Temperature Phosphorescence from Excited Dimers in Self-Assembled Nanoparticles under Visible and Near-Infrared Irradiation in Water

Pure organic room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) has unique advantages and various potential applications. However, it is challengeable to achieve organic RTP under visible and near-infrared (NIR)-light excitation, especially in aqueous solution. Herein we assemble difluoroboron β-diketonate compounds to form organic nanoparticles (NPs) in water. The resulting NPs are able to show efficient RTP, effective uptake, and bright imaging of HeLa cells under both visible- and NIR-light excitation. More strikingly, spectroscopic study, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, and DFT calculation reveal that the efficient RTP in organic NPs is originated from dimers in their excited states. The multiple interactions and intermolecular charge transfer in the dimer structures are of significance in promoting the production of dimer triplet excited states and suppressing the nonradiative decays to boost the RTP under visible- and NIR-light irradiation in water.

Aggregation and Tunable Color Emission Behaviors of l-Glutamine-Derived Platinum(II) Bipyridine Complexes by Hydrogen-Bonding, π-π Stacking and Metal-Metal Interactions

An l-glutamine-derived functional group was introduced to the bis(arylalkynyl)platinum(II) bipyridine complexes 1-4. The emission could be switched between the ³ MLCT excited state and the triplet excimeric state through solvent or temperature changes, which is attributed to the formation and disruption of hydrogen-bonding, π-π stacking, and metal-metal interactions. Different architectures with various morphologies, such as honeycomb nanostructures and nanospheres, were formed upon solvent variations, and these changes were accompanied by ¹ H NMR and distinct emission changes. Additionally, yellow and red emissive metallogels were formed at room temperature due to the different aggregation behaviors introduced by the substituent groups on bipyridine. The thermoresponsive metallogel showed emission behavior with tunable colors by controlling the temperature. The negative Gibbs free-energy change (ΔG) and the large association constant for excimer formation have suggested that the molecules undergo aggregation through hydrogen-bonding, π-π, and metal-metal interactions, resulting in triplet excimeric emission.

Platinum(II) complexes of pyridine–amine ligands with phenol substituents: isotactic supramolecular polymers

The platinum(II) complexes [PtCl(SMe2)(κ2-N,N′-L)]Cl and [PtMe(SMe2)(κ2-N,N′-L)]Cl, L = 2-C5H4NCH2NH-x-C6H4OH (x = 2, 3, or 4), have been prepared and structurally characterized. In all cases, the complexes form supramolecular polymers in the solid state by NH··Cl and OH··Cl hydrogen bonding to the chloride anion. The ligands are chiral at the amine nitrogen atom, and in all cases, the polymers are isotactic, formed by self-recognition or narcissistic self-assembly. The structures in the crystalline state all have the Me2S ligand trans to pyridyl, but in solution, the methylplatinum(II) complexes isomerise slowly to give an equilibrium with the isomers having the methyl group trans to the pyridyl donor.

Supramolecular Organoplatinum(IV) Chemistry: Dimers and Polymers Formed by Intermolecular Hydrogen Bonding

The reaction of [PtMe₂(6-dppd)], 1, where 6-dppd is a 1,4-bis(2-pyridyl)pyridazine derivative, with bromoalkanes BrCH₂R, having a hydrogen-bond donor group R, gave the corresponding chiral products of trans oxidative addition [PtBrMe₂(CH₂R)(6-dppd)], 2a, R = CO₂H; 3, R = 4-C₆H₄CO₂H; 4, R = 4-C₆H₄CH₂CO₂H; 7, R = 2-C₆H₄CH₂OH; 8, R = 4-C₆H₄B(OH)₂; 9, R = 3-C₆H₄B(OH)₂; and 10, R = 2-C₆H₄B(OH)₂. Complex 2a was formed in equilibrium with two isomers formed by cis oxidative addition, while the reaction of 1 with BrCH₂CH₂CO₂H gave mostly [PtBrMe(6-dppd)], 6. The supramolecular chemistry was studied by structure determination of six of the platinum(IV) complexes, with emphasis on the preference of the hydrogen bond acceptor (O, pyridyl N, or Br atom), formation of monomer, dimer, or polymer, and self-recognition or self-discrimination in self-assembly. Complex 7 formed a monomer with the OH···N hydrogen bond, and complexes 2a and 10 formed racemic dimers by complementary hydrogen bonding with self-discrimination between CO₂H or B(OH)₂ groups, respectively. Complexes 3, 4, and 9 formed polymers by intermolecular hydrogen bonding with self-recognition, with 4 containing OH···N and 3 and 9 containing OH···Br hydrogen bonds. It is concluded that there is no clear preference for the hydrogen bond acceptor group, and that the observed product depends also on the orientation of the hydrogen bond donor group.

Directional Self-Sorting with Cucurbit[8]uril Controlled by Allosteric π-π and Metal-Metal Interactions

To maximize Coulombic interactions, cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]) typically forms ternary complexes that distribute the positive charges of the pair of guests (if any) over both carbonylated portals of the macrocycle. We present here the first exception to this recognition pattern. Platinum(II) acetylides flanked by 4'-substituted terpyridyl ligands (tpy) form 2:1 complexes with CB[8] in an exclusively stacked head-to-head orientation in a water/acetonitrile mixture. The host encapsulates the pair of tpy substituents, and both positive Pt centers sit on top of each other at the same CB[8] rim, leaving the other rim free of any interaction with the guests. This dramatic charge imbalance between the CB[8] rims would be electrostatically penalizing, were it not for allosteric π-π interactions between the stacked tpy ligands, and possible metal-metal interactions between both Pt centers. When both tpy and acetylides are substituted with aryl units, the metal-ligand complexes form 2:2 assemblies with CB[8] in aqueous medium, and the directionality of the assembly (head-to-head or head-to-tail) can be controlled, both kinetically and thermodynamically.

Photoresponsive supramolecular polymers based on quadruple hydrogen-bonding and a photochromic azobenzene motif

A photoresponsive quadruple hydrogen-bonded supramolecular polymer was constructed using photochromic azobenzene and ureidopyrimidinone motifs.