Donor–acceptor charge transfer assemblies based on naphthalene diimides(NDIs)

Solvent-Free Organic Liquids: An Efficient Fluid Matrix for Unexplored Functional Hybrid Materials

ConspectusThe invention of solvent-free organic liquids (SOLs) was serendipitous. However, the curiosity-driven research in the later stage delivered new soft materials with exciting optical, and optoelectronic properties along with appealing physical characteristics suitable for the futuristic applications. A slight change in the molecular design resulted in a drastic change in the physical state of molecules demonstrating monomer-like features in the bulk. The basic idea of core isolation has been successful in delivering new SOLs with attractive functional properties. The unique fluid matrix associated with SOLs offers a tremendous opportunity for making hybrid materials by simple mixing. The chance to study the fundamentally important electron transfer, energy transfer, charge transfer interactions, triplet-state emissions, and even detailed NMR experiments in the solvent-free neat state is the major attraction of SOLs. Usually, solvents and their polarity control such molecular properties, and in the case of SOLs, it avoids the use of solvents to study such fundamentally important properties. Besides, SOLs protect the triplet emitters and excited state processes involving triplet states from quenchers and make the analysis possible under ambient conditions.Our effort in this direction was focused on tuning the ground and excited state properties by transforming conventional organic molecules to SOLs and further value addition by preparing the hybrid SOLs. We developed a series of hybrid SOLs, exploring room-temperature phosphorescence, thermally activated delayed fluorescence, charge or energy transfer between donor and acceptor SOLs, selective explosive sensing, etc. A slight variation in the chemical structure or optoelectronic properties of the individual components imparted exciting optical features for the hybrid SOLs. It includes nonemissive charge transfer, tunable emission exciplex, room temperature phosphorescence, and thermally activated delayed fluorescence SOLs. The liquid matrix of donor SOLs accommodated varying amounts of acceptor SOLs to tune the ground and excited state features. In all examples of donor-acceptor-based hybrid SOLs, even a low amount of acceptor, such as a donor-acceptor ratio of 1000:1, can cause pronounced optical properties. Hence, the evaluation of the optical properties of SOLs, especially, in the absence of solvents is so special that it avoids the interference of solvent molecules. Still, the major drawback of SOLs remains unsolved until we report polymerizable SOLs. Although a large variety of SOLs have been reported in the literature, the long-lasting problem of surface stickiness of SOLs was resolved by polymerizable SOLs. It enabled the development of flexible, foldable, and stretchable large-area luminescent films suitable for lighting and display devices. In this Account, we summarize our work on SOLs, hybrid SOLs, polymerizable SOLs, and the application of SOLs in selective sensing of explosives. Finally, an outlook on the feasibility of luminescent polymerizable SOLs in futuristic applications is provided.

NDI based C2-symmetric Chiral Supramolecular Hydrogels Towards Enhanced Conductivity

To comprehend the significance of improved conductive properties in C2-symmetric hydrogels, it is vital to investigate how non-gelating achiral functional group isomers influence the conductivity of such supramolecular hydrogels, whereas understanding the major driving forces behind this regulatory process is first and foremost. Herein, we report a hydrogel system containing tryptophan-conjugated NDI as the backbone (L/D-NTrp), enabling effective supramolecular assembly with the bipyridyl functional group isomers. This co-assembly behavior results in materials with exceptional mechanical properties and high conductivities, surpassing most previously reported C2-symmetrical hydrogels, as well as the ability to form controlled morphologies. Notably, the co-hydrogels displayed an eight-fold increase in mechanical strength, making them more robust and resistant to deformation compared to the original gel. Additionally, all hydrogels exhibited favorable electrical conductivity, with the co-assembled hydrogels showcasing notable performance, making them a promising candidate for use in electronic devices and sensors. This report lays the foundation for further investigation into the properties and potential applications of L/D-NTrp compound in the range of fields, including drug delivery, tissue engineering, and electronics.

Short Peptide-Based Smart Thixotropic Hydrogels †

Thixotropy is a fascinating feature present in many gel systems that has garnered a lot of attention in the medical field in recent decades. When shear stress is applied, the gel transforms into sol and immediately returns to its original state when resting. The thixotropic nature of the hydrogel has inspired scientists to entrap and release enzymes, therapeutics, and other substances inside the human body, where the gel acts as a drug reservoir and can sustainably release therapeutics. Furthermore, thixotropic hydrogels have been widely used in various therapeutic applications, including drug delivery, cornea regeneration and osteogenesis, to name a few. Because of their inherent biocompatibility and structural diversity, peptides are at the forefront of cutting-edge research in this context. This review will discuss the rational design and self-assembly of peptide-based thixotropic hydrogels with some representative examples, followed by their biomedical applications.

Interligand Charge-Transfer Processes in Zinc Complexes

Electron donor–acceptor (EDA) complexes are characterized by charge-transfer (CT) processes between electron-rich and electron-poor counterparts, typically resulting in a new absorption band at a higher wavelength. In this paper, we report a series of novel 2,6-di(imino)pyridine ligands with different electron-rich aromatic substituents and their 1:2 (metal/ligand) complexes with zinc(II) in which the formation of a CT species is promoted by the metal ion coordination. The absorption properties of these complexes were studied, showing the presence of a CT absorption band only in the case of aromatic substituents with donor groups. The nature of EDA interaction was confirmed by crystallographic studies, which disclose the electron-poor and electron-rich moieties involved in the CT process. These moieties mutually belong to both the ligands and are forced into a favorable spatial arrangement by the coordinative preferences of the metal ion.

Donor-Acceptor Hybrid Heterostructures: An Emerging Class of Photoactive Materials with Inorganic and Organic Semiconductive Components

Just as the heterojunctions in physics, donor-acceptor (D-A) heterostructures are an emerging class of photoactive materials fabricated from two semiconductive components at the molecular level. Among them, D-A hybrid heterostructures from organic and inorganic semiconductive components have attracted extensive attention in the past decades due to their combined advantages of high stability for the inorganic semiconductors and modifiability for the organic semiconductors, which are particularly beneficial to efficiently achieve photoinduced charge separation and transfer upon irradiations. In this review, by analogy with the heterojunctions in physics, a definition of the D-A heterostructures and their general design and synthetic strategies are given. Meanwhile, the D-A hybrid heterostructures are focused on and their recent advances in potential applications of photochromism, photomodulated luminescence, and photocatalysis summarized.

An electrically conductive metallocycle: densely packed molecular hexagons with π-stacked radicals

Electrical conduction among metallocycles has been unexplored because of the difficulty in creating electronic transport pathways. In this work, we present an electrocrystallization strategy for synthesizing an intrinsically electron-conductive metallocycle, [Ni6(NDI-Hpz)6(dma)12(NO3)6]·5DMA·nH2O (PMC-hexagon) (NDI-Hpz = N,N'-di(1H-pyrazol-4-yl)-1,4,5,8-naphthalenetetracarboxdiimide). The hexagonal metallocycle units are assembled into a densely packed ABCABC… sequence (like the fcc geometry) to construct one-dimensional (1D) helical π-stacked columns and 1D pore channels, which were maintained under the liberation of H2O molecules. The NDI cores were partially reduced to form radicals as charge carriers, resulting in a room-temperature conductivity of (1.2-2.1) × 10-4 S cm-1 (pressed pellet), which is superior to that of most NDI-based conductors including metal-organic frameworks and organic crystals. These findings open up the use of metallocycles as building blocks for fabricating conductive porous molecular materials.

Donor–acceptor systems in metal–organic frameworks: design, construction, and properties

In this highlight, the development of donor acceptor (D–A) MOF was briefly reviewed and summarized in the aspects of design, construction, and properties. Also, an outlook about the research and potential application of D–A MOF has been presented.

Photochromic and Room Temperature Phosphorescent Donor-Acceptor Hybrid Crystals Regulated by Core-Substituted Naphthalenediimides

Donor-acceptor (D-A) hybrid crystals are an emerging kind of crystalline hybrid material composed of semiconductive inorganic donors and organic acceptors. Except for the intrinsic photochromism, recently we have reported that the anion-π polyoxometalate (POM)/naphthalenediimide (NDI) hybrid crystals could produce an interesting room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) quantum yield up to 7.2%. Herein, we extended into core-substituted NDIs and anticipated the regulation of their photochromic and RTP properties. Thus, two hybrid crystals, namely (H₄BDMPy-Br₂NDI)·(NMP)₄·(HPW₁₂O₄₀) (1) and (H₄BDMPy-I₂NDI)·(HPW₁₂O₄₀) (2) (H₂BDMPy-Br₂NDI: N,N'-bis(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)-2,6-dibromo-1,4,5,8-naphthalenediimide and H₂BDMPy-I₂NDI: N,N'-bis(3,5-dimethylpyrazolyl)-2,6-diiodide-1,4,5,8-naphthalenediimide), have been synthesized from phosphotungstic anions (PW₁₂O₄₀^3-) and Br or I core-substituted NDIs. Compared to the core-unsubstituted analogues (H₄BDMPy-NDI)·(NMP)₄·(HPW₁₂O₄₀) (3), 2 with photosensitive iodine substituents is more sensitive to light, which can become discolored under natural light. As a result of the heavy-atom effect, hybrid 1 exhibits remarkable RTP with the quantum yield up to 10.2% and a lifetime of 1.14 ms.

Selective formation of spiroborate-based double-stranded hetero-helicates assisted by donor–acceptor interactions

A novel spiroborate-based double-stranded hetero-helicate is selectively formed through donor–acceptor interactions between the central electron-rich porphyrin and electron-deficient naphthalene diimide units.