Synthesis, Characterization, and Properties of Doubly Alkynyl Bridging Dinuclear Cyclometalated Iridium(III) Complexes

Rational Design of Mono- and Bi-Nuclear Cyclometalated Ir(III) Complexes Containing Di-Pyridylamine Motifs: Synthesis, Structure, and Luminescent Properties

Heteroleptic cyclometalated iridium (III) complexes (1–3) containing di-pyridylamine motifs were prepared in a stepwise fashion. The presence of the di-pyridylamine ligands tunes their electronic and optical properties, generating blue phosphorescent emitters at room temperature. Herein we describe the synthesis of the mononuclear iridium complexes [Ir(ppy)₂(DPA)][OTf] (1), (ppy = phenylpyridine; DPA = Dipyridylamine) and [Ir(ppy)₂(DPA-PhI)][OTf] (2), (DPA-PhI = Dipyridylamino-phenyliodide). Moreover, the dinuclear iridium complex [Ir(ppy)₂(L)Ir(ppy)₂][OTf]₂ (3) containing a rigid angular ligand “L = 3,5-bis[4-(2,2′-dipyridylamino)phenylacetylenyl]toluene” and displaying two di-pyridylamino groups was also prepared. For comparison purposes, the related dinuclear rhodium complex [Rh (ppy)₂(L)Rh(ppy)₂][OTf]₂ (4) was also synthesized. The x-ray molecular structure of complex 2 was reported and confirmed the formation of the target molecule. The rhodium complex 4 was found to be emissive only at low temperature; in contrast, all iridium complexes 1–3 were found to be phosphorescent in solution at 77 K and room temperature, displaying blue emissions in the range of 478–481 nm.

Alkynyl Ligands as Building Blocks for the Preparation of Phosphorescent Iridium(III) Emitters: Alternative Synthetic Precursors and Procedures

Alkynyl ligands stabilize dimers [Ir(μ-X)(3b)₂]₂ with a cis disposition of the heterocycles of the 3b ligands, in contrast to chloride. Thus, the complexes of this class—cis-[Ir(μ₂-η²-C≡CPh){κ²-C,N-(C₆H₄-Isoqui)}₂]₂ (Isoqui = isoquinoline) and cis-[Ir(μ₂-η²-C≡CR){κ²-C,N-(MeC₆H₃-py)}₂]₂ (R = Ph, ^tBu)—have been prepared in high yields, starting from the dihydroxo-bridged dimers trans-[Ir(μ-OH){κ²-C,N-(C₆H₄-Isoqui)}₂]₂ and trans-[Ir(μ-OH){κ²-C,N-(MeC₆H₃-py)}₂]₂ and terminal alkynes. Subsequently, the acetylide ligands have been employed as building blocks to prepare the orange and green iridium(III) phosphorescent emitters, Ir{κ²-C,N-[C(CH₂Ph)Npy]}{κ²-C,N-(C₆H₄-Isoqui)}₂ and Ir{κ²-C,N-[C(CH₂R)Npy]}{κ²-C,N-(MeC₆H₃-py)}₂ (R = Ph, ^tBu), respectively, with an octahedral structure of fac carbon and nitrogen atoms. The green emitter Ir{κ²-C,N-[C(CH₂^tBu)Npy]}{κ²-C,N-(MeC₆H₃-py)}₂ reaches 100% of quantum yield in both the poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) film and 2-MeTHF at room temperature. In organic light-emitting diode (OLED) devices, it demonstrates very saturated green emission at a peak wavelength of 500 nm, with an external quantum efficiency (EQE) of over 12% or luminous efficacy of 30.7 cd/A.

Acetylide ligands have been employed as building blocks to prepare orange and green iridium(III) phosphorescent emitters, with an octahedral structure of fac carbon and nitrogen atoms. In OLED devices, the emitter Ir{κ²-C,N-[C(CH₂^tBu)Npy]}{κ²-C,N-(MeC₆H₃-py)}₂ demonstrates very saturated green emission at a peak wavelength of 500 nm, with a luminous efficacy of 30.7 cd/A.

Development and application of redox-active cyclometallating ligands based on W(II) alkyne complexes

The assembly of dinuclear complexes with the ultimate smallest ditopic ligands based on side-on complexes of methyl substituted alkynes is presented. In fact, the coordination of Ru(II) and Ir(III) by a W alkyne complex based cyclometallating metalla-ligand causes close intermetallic electronic cooperation, which substantially changes the electrochemical and photophysical properties of the single isolated moieties.

Inherently dinuclear iridium(III) meso architectures accessed by cyclometalation of calix[4]arene-based bis(aryltriazoles)

Conventional cyclometalation of calix[4]arene bis(aryltriazoles) with iridium(III) chloride hydrate leads to unique meso architectures in which the Ir₂Cl₂ core is cross-bound by two (C^N)₂ ligands, which allows further replacement of the chloride bridges with ancillary ligands while maintaining the dinuclear structures of the complexes having independent or coupled iridium pairs.

1,1'-Biisoquinolines-Neglected Ligands in the Heterocyclic Diimine Family That Provoke Stereochemical Reflections

1,1′-Biisoquinolines are a class of bidentate nitrogen donor ligands in the heterocyclic diimine family. This review briefly discusses their properties and the key synthetic pathways available and then concentrates upon their coordination behaviour. The ligands are of interest as they exhibit the phenomenon of atropisomerism (hindered rotation about the C1–C1′ bond). A notation for depicting the stereochemistry in coordination compounds containing multiple stereogenic centers is developed. The consequences of the chirality within the ligand on the coordination behaviour is discussed in detail.

Cyclometalated Ir(iii) complexes towards blue-emissive dopant for organic light-emitting diodes: fundamentals of photophysics and designing strategies

The fundamental photophysics of cyclometalated Ir(iii) complexes and surveys design strategies for efficient blue phosphorescent Ir(iii) complexes are summarised.

Dinuclear metal complexes: multifunctional properties and applications

Dinuclear metal complexes have enabled breakthroughs in OLEDs, photocatalytic water splitting and CO₂reduction, DSPEC, chemosensors, biosensors, PDT and smart materials.

Rise of Conjugated Poly-ynes and Poly(Metalla-ynes): From Design Through Synthesis to Structure-Property Relationships and Applications

Conjugated poly-ynes and poly(metalla-ynes) constitute an important class of new materials with potential application in various domains of science. The key factors responsible for the diverse usage of these materials is their intriguing and tunable chemical and photophysical properties. This review highlights fascinating advances made in the field of conjugated organic poly-ynes and poly(metalla-ynes) incorporating group 4-11 metals. This includes several important aspects of conjugated poly-ynes viz. synthetic protocols, bonding, electronic structure, nature of luminescence, structure-property relationships, diverse applications, and concluding remarks. Furthermore, we delineated the future directions and challenges in this particular area of research.

Multimetallic and Mixed Environment Iridium(III) Complexes: A Modular Approach to Luminescence Tuning Using a Host Platform

Mononuclear and trinuclear bis‐cyclometallated Ir^III complexes of the host ligands tris(4‐[4′‐methyl‐2,2′‐bipyridyl]methyl)cyclotriguaiacylene (L1) and tris(4‐(4′‐methyl‐2,2′‐ bipyridyl)carboxy)cyclotriguaiacylene (L2) have been prepared. Complexes [{Ir(ppy)₂}₃(L1)](PF₆)₃ (1.1), [{Ir(ppy)₂}(L1)](PF₆)₃ (1.2), [{Ir(ppy)₂}₃(L2)](PF₆)₃ (2.1) and [{Ir(ppy)₂}(L2)](PF₆)₃ (2.2) (where ppy=phenylpyridinato) showed distinct photophysical properties depending on the L ligand. Complexes featuring the L1 ligand were comparatively blue‐shifted in solution, with longer lifetimes and higher quantum yields. The mixed bis‐cyclometallated Ir^III complexes [{Ir(ppy)₂}{Ir(dFppy)₂}₂(L1)](PF₆)₃ (1.3), [{Ir(ppy)₂}{Ir(dFppy)₂}₂(L2)](PF₆)₃ (2.3), [{Ir(ppy)₂}₂{Ir(dFppy)₂}(L1)](PF₆)₃ (1.4) and [{Ir(ppy)₂}₂{Ir(dFppy)₂}(L2)](PF₆)₃ (2.4) (where dFppy=2,4‐difluorophenylpyrinato) were also synthesised. Steady‐state and time‐resolved spectroscopy, along with electrochemical investigations, show that the Ir(III) chromophores within these mixed Ir‐environment species behave as isolated centres, with no energy transfer or electronic communication between them.

Highly efficient electrochemiluminescence labels comprising iridium(iii) complexes

Highly efficient iridium ECL labels exhibiting various emission colors have been developed. Importantly, BSA labeled with the novel iridium labels displays much more intense ECL than the same amount labeled by a traditional ruthenium label in ProCell buffer solution.

Pyrimidine-Based Mononuclear and Dinuclear Iridium(III) Complexes for High Performance Organic Light-Emitting Diodes

Containing two nitrogen atoms, the electron-deficient pyrimidine ring has excellent coordinating capability with transition metal ions. However, compared with the widely used pyridine ring, applications of the pyrimidine ring in phosphorescent Ir(III) complexes are rare. In this research, two highly emissive pyrimidine-based mononuclear Ir(III) complexes and their corresponding dinuclear Ir(III) complexes were prepared with a simple one-pot reaction. The incorporation of the second Ir(III) center can lead to dramatic differences of both photophysical and electrochemical properties between the mono- and dinuclear complexes. Besides, these properties can also be fine-tuned with different substituents. Theoretical calculations have also been performed to understand their photophysical behaviors. The electroluminescent investigations demonstrate that the pyrimidine-based mono- and dinuclear Ir(III) complexes could show impressive device performance. The vacuum-deposited organic light-emitting diode (OLED) based on the mononuclear Ir(III) complex exhibited an external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 16.1% with almost no efficiency roll-off even at 10 000 cd m^-2. More encouragingly, the solution-processed OLED based on the dinuclear Ir(III) complex achieved the outstanding EQE, current efficiency (CE), and power efficiency (PE) of 17.9%, 52.5 cd A^-1, and 51.2 lm W^-1, respectively, representing the highest efficiencies ever achieved by OLEDs based on dinuclear Ir(III) complexes.

When two are better than one: bright phosphorescence from non-stereogenic dinuclear iridium(III) complexes

A new family of eight dinuclear iridium(iii) complexes has been prepared, featuring 4,6-diarylpyrimidines L(y) as bis-N^C-coordinating bridging ligands. The metal ions are also coordinated by a terminal N^C^N-cyclometallating ligand L(X) based on 1,3-di(2-pyridyl)benzene, and by a monodentate chloride or cyanide. The general formula of the compounds is {IrL(X)Z}2L(y) (Z = Cl or CN). The family comprises examples with three different L(X) ligands and five different diarylpyrimidines L(y), of which four are diphenylpyrimidines and one is a dithienylpyrimidine. The requisite proligands have been synthesised via standard cross-coupling methodology. The synthesis of the complexes involves a two-step procedure, in which L(X)H is reacted with IrCl3·3H2O to form dinuclear complexes of the form [IrL(X)Cl(μ-Cl)]2, followed by treatment with the diarylpyrimidine L(y)H2. Crucially, each complex is formed as a single compound only: the strong trans influence of the metallated rings dictates the relative disposition of the ligands, whilst the use of symmetrically substituted tridentate ligands eliminates the possibility of Λ and Δ enantiomers that are obtained when bis-bidentate units are linked through bridging ligands. The crystal structure of one member of the family has been obtained using a synchrotron X-ray source. All of the complexes are very brightly luminescent, with emission maxima in solution varying over the range 517-572 nm, according to the identity of the ligands. The highest-energy emitter is the cyanide derivative whilst the lowest is the complex with the dithienylpyrimidine. The trends in both the absorption and emission energies as a function of ligand substituent have been rationalised accurately with the aid of TD-DFT calculations. The lowest-excited singlet and triplet levels correlate with the trend in the HOMO-LUMO gap. All the complexes have quantum yields that are close to unity and phosphorescence lifetimes - of the order of 500 ns - that are unusually short for complexes of such brightness. These impressive properties stem from an unusually high rate of radiative decay, possibly due to spin-orbit coupling pathways being facilitated by the second metal ion, and to low non-radiative decay rates that may be related to the rigidity of the dinuclear scaffold.

From Mononuclear to Dinuclear Iridium(III) Complex: Effective Tuning of the Optoelectronic Characteristics for Organic Light-Emitting Diodes

Phosphorescent dinuclear iridium(III) complexes that can show high luminescent efficiencies and good electroluminescent abilities are very rare. In this paper, highly phosphorescent 2-phenylpyrimidine-based dinuclear iridium(III) complexes have been synthesized and fully characterized. Significant differences of the photophysical and electrochemical properties between the mono- and dinuclear complexes are observed. The theoretical calculation results show that the dinuclear complexes adopt a unique molecular orbital spatial distribution pattern, which plays the key role of determining their photophysical and electrochemical properties. More importantly, the solution-processed organic light-emitting diode (OLED) based on the new dinuclear iridium(III) complex achieves a peak external quantum efficiency (η(ext)) of 14.4%, which is the highest η(ext) for OLEDs using dinuclear iridium(III) complexes as emitters. Besides, the efficiencies of the OLED based on the dinuclear iridium(III) complex are much higher that those of the OLED based on the corresponding mononuclear iridium(III) complex.

New exploration towards dinuclear iridium(ii) complexes materials under chlorine-bridged precursor

As an important precursor for synthesizing Iridium complex, two similar chlorine-bridged dinuclear complexes, which are bright, were studied by experiment and theory.

Alkynyl bridged cyclometalated Ir2M2 clusters: impact of the heterometal in the photo- and electro-luminescence properties

The distinct photo- and electro-luminescence properties of clusters [Ir₂M₂(ppy)₄(μ-CCC₆H₄-OMe₃)₄] (M = Ag, Cu) provide an example of the role of the CCR groups in modulating metallophillic bonding in the T₁ state.