1-(Arylalkenyl)pyrenes - Synthetic, Structural, Photophysical, Theoretical, and Electrochemical Investigations

Ruthenium and Iodine Anion Cocatalyzed Cascade Dihalogenation and Cyclization of Internal Alkyne-Tethered Cyclohexadienones with 1,2-Dihaloethanes

We have established an efficient ruthenium(II) and iodine anion cocatalyzed dihalogenation and cascade cyclization of internal alkyne-tethered cyclohexadienones, which stereoselectively afforded numerous dihalogenation products with a bioactive hydrobenzofuran skeleton in high yields under mild conditions. In this transformation, the reaction pathway was determined by the concentration of electrophilic iodine reagent, which also provided a strategy for control of the reaction selectivity. Furthermore, this method features the use of 1,2-dihaloroethane as the halogen source via iodine anion catalyst.

Bromopyrene Symphony: Synthesis and Characterisation of Isomeric Derivatives at Non-K Region and Nodal Positions for Diverse Functionalisation Strategies

Pyrene, a renowned aromatic hydrocarbon, continues to captivate researchers due to its versatile properties and potential applications across various scientific domains. Among its derivatives, bromopyrenes stand out for their significance in synthetic chemistry, materials science, and environmental studies. The strategic functionalisation of pyrene at non-K region and nodal positions is crucial for expanding its utility, allowing for diverse functionalisation strategies. Bromo-substituted precursors serve as vital intermediates in synthetic routes; however, the substitution pattern of bromoderivatives significantly impacts their subsequent functionalisation and properties, posing challenges in synthesis and purification. Understanding the distinct electronic structure of pyrene is pivotal, dictating the preferential electrophilic aromatic substitution reactions at specific positions. Despite the wealth of literature, contradictions and complexities persist in synthesising suitably substituted bromopyrenes due to the unpredictable nature of substitution reactions. Building upon historical precedents, this study provides a comprehensive overview of bromine introduction in pyrene derivatives, offering optimised synthesis conditions based on laboratory research. Specifically, the synthesis of mono-, di-, tri-, and tetrabromopyrene isomers at non-K positions (1-, 3-, 6-, 8-) and nodal positions (2-, 7-) is systematically explored. By elucidating efficient synthetic methodologies and reaction conditions, this research contributes to advancing the synthesis and functionalisation strategies of pyrene derivatives, unlocking new possibilities for their utilisation in various fields.

Cooperative supramolecular polymerization of styrylpyrenes for color-dependent circularly polarized luminescence and photocycloaddition

Developing facile and efficient methods to obtain circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) materials with a large luminescence dissymmetry factor (glum) and fluorescence quantum yield (ΦY) is attractive but still challenging. Herein, supramolecular polymerization of styrylpyrenes (R/S-PEB) is utilized to attain this aim, which can self-assemble into helical nanoribbons. Benefiting from the dominant CH-π interactions between the chromophores, the supramolecular solution of S-PEB shows remarkable blue-color CPL property (glum: 0.011, ΦY: 69%). From supramolecular solution to gel, the emission color (blue to yellow-green) and handedness of CPL (glum: -0.011 to +0.005) are concurrently manipulated, while the corresponding supramolecular chirality maintains unchanged, representing the rare example of color-dependent CPL materials. Thanks to the supramolecular confine effect, the [2 + 2] cycloaddition reaction rate of the supramolecular solution is 10.5 times higher than that of the monomeric solution. In contrast, no cycloaddition reaction occurs for the gel and assembled solid samples. Our findings provide a vision for fabricating multi-modal and high-performance CPL-active materials, paving the way for the development of advanced photo-responsive chiral systems.

Mitochondrial Targeting and Imaging with Small Organic Conjugated Fluorophores: A Review

The last decade has seen an increasingly large number of studies reporting on the development of novel small organic conjugated systems for mitochondrial imaging exploiting optical signal transduction pathways. Mitochondria are known to play a critical role in a number of key biological processes, including cellular metabolism. Importantly, irregularities on their working function are nowadays understood to be intimately linked to a range of clinical conditions, highlighting the importance of targeting mitochondria for therapeutic benefits. In this work we carry out an in-depth evaluation on the progress to date in the field to pave the way for the realization of superior alternatives to those currently existing. The manuscript is structured by commonly used chemical scaffolds and comprehensively covers key aspects factored in design strategies such as synthetic approaches as well as photophysical and biological characterization, to foster collaborative work among organic and physical chemists as well as cell biologists.

Polycyclic Arene-Fused Selenophenes via Site Selective Selenocyclization of Arylethynyl Substituted Polycyclic Arenes

Arene-fused selenophenes were synthesized by a redox neutral process from arylethynyl substituted polycyclic arenes using selenium powder in refluxing N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) with the assistance of the residual water in NMP as a catalytic proton source. The site-selective nature of this selenocyclization produces trans-alkenes as a competitive product, which is dependent on the π-electron donation ability of polycyclic arenes and the kind of arylethynyl group attached to it. DFT calculations were performed to understand the site selectivity in the selenophene formation reaction. The HOMO coefficient on the carbon adjacent to carbon having arylalkyne substituent of the polycyclic arene correlates with the selenocyclization tendency of the substrate. The wavelength of absorption and emission and quantum yield of emission increase with increasing the number of fused benzene rings in the polycyclic unit (from naphthalene to pyrene).

Photocycloadditions in disparate chemical environments

We elucidate the wavelength dependence of a photocycloaddition by accessing action plots dependent on the reactivity relative to the number of absorbed photons and establish the effect of concentration and solvent on the reactivity.

Intramolecular Proton and Charge Transfer of Pyrene-based trans-Stilbene Salicylic Acids Applied to Detection of Aggregated Proteins

Two analogues to the fluorescent amyloid probe 2,5-bis(4'-hydroxy-3'-carboxy-styryl)benzene (X-34) were synthesized based on the trans-stilbene pyrene scaffold (Py1SA and Py2SA). The compounds show strikingly different emission spectra when bound to preformed Aβ1-42 fibrils. This remarkable emission difference is retained when bound to amyloid fibrils of four distinct proteins, suggesting a common binding configuration for each molecule. Density functional theory calculations show that Py1SA is twisted, while Py2SA is more planar. Still, an analysis of the highest occupied molecular orbitals (HOMOs) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals (LUMOs) of the two compounds indicates that the degree of electronic coupling between the pyrene and salicylic acid (SA) moieties is larger in Py1SA than in Py2SA. Excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) coupled-charge transfer (ICT) was observed for the anionic form in polar solvents. We conclude that ICT properties of trans-stilbene derivatives can be utilized for amyloid probe design with large changes in emission spectra and decay times from analogous chemical structures depending on the detailed physical nature of the binding site.

Synthesis of functionalised fluorinated pyridine derivatives by site-selective Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions of halogenated pyridines

The Suzuki-Miyaura reaction of 2,6-dichloro-3-(trifluoromethyl)pyridine with 1 equiv of arylboronic acids resulted in site-selective formation of 2-aryl-6-chloro-3-(trifluoromethyl)pyridine. Due to electronic reasons, the reaction takes place at the sterically more hindered position. The selectivity was rationalised by DFT calculations. The one-pot reaction with two different arylboronic acids afforded 2,6-diaryl-3-(trifluoromethyl)pyridine containing two different aryl substituents. The reactions proceeded smoothly in the absence of phosphine ligands. In addition, Suzuki-Miyaura reactions of 2,6-dichloro-4-(trifluoromethyl)pyridine with one or two equivalents of arylboronic acids were carried out.

Aerobic palladium(II)-catalyzed dehydrogenative heck reaction in the synthesis of pyrenyl fluorophores. a photophysical study of β-pyrenyl acrylates in solution and in the solid state

An aerobic dehydrogenative Heck reaction of pyrene (1a) and 2,7-di-tert-butylpyrene (1b) with ethyl acrylate is reported. The reaction is catalyzed by a Pd(OAc)2/4,5-diazafluoren-9-one (DAF) system and takes place in acetic or pivalic acid as solvents at 110-130 °C. The reaction of 1a afforded a 6:1 mixture of C-1- and C-4-alkenylated pyrenes (2a and 3a, respectively) in 71% yield. In the case of 1b, only a C-4-substituted product (3b) was formed in 46% yield. Compounds 2a and 3a,b exhibited fluorescence in solution and in the solid state. In chloroform and THF solution the fluorescence maxima were in the range of 440-465 nm, and quantum yields decreased in the order 2a > 3a> 3b. In the solid state, 3a,b showed blue-green fluorescence (ΦF = 0.26 and 0.14, respectively), whereas 2a emitted yellow-green fluorescence) (ΦF = 0.35). Besides blue-emitting monomers, the presence of green-emitting aggregated species (preformed dimers) in the crystals of 3a,b and red-emitting dynamic excimers in the crystals of 2a has been demonstrated. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses of 2a and 3b confirmed π-stacking of pyrenyl moieties in the crystals of the former and the absence of stacking in the crystals of the latter compound.