En Route to the Formation of High-Efficiency, Osmium(II)-Based Phosphorescent Materials

Photophysical and Cellular Imaging Studies of Brightly Luminescent Osmium(II) Pyridyltriazole Complexes

The series of complexes [Os(bpy)3- n(pytz) n][PF6]2 (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridyl, pytz = 1-benzyl-4-(pyrid-2-yl)-1,2,3-triazole, 1 n = 0, 2 n = 1, 3 n = 2, 4 n = 3) were prepared and characterized and are rare examples of luminescent 1,2,3-triazole-based osmium(II) complexes. For 3 we present an attractive and particularly mild preparative route via an osmium(II) η6-arene precursor circumventing the harsh conditions that are usually required. Because of the high spin-orbit coupling constant associated with the Os(II) center the absorption spectra of the complexes all display absorption bands of appreciable intensity in the range of 500-700 nm corresponding to spin-forbidden ground-state-to-3MLCT transitions (MLCT = metal-to-ligand charge transfer), which occur at significantly lower energies than the corresponding spin-allowed 1MLCT transitions. The homoleptic complex 4 is a bright emitter (λmaxem = 614 nm) with a relatively high quantum yield of emission of ∼40% in deoxygenated acetonitrile solutions at room temperature. Water-soluble chloride salts of 1-4 were also prepared, all of which remain emissive in aerated aqueous solutions at room temperature. The complexes were investigated for their potential as phosphorescent cellular imaging agents, whereby efficient excitation into the 3MLCT absorption bands at the red side of the visible range circumvents autofluorescence from biological specimens, which do not absorb in this region of the spectrum. Confocal microscopy reveals 4 to be readily taken up by cancer cell lines (HeLa and EJ) with apparent lysosomal and endosomal localization, while toxicity assays reveal that the compounds have low dark and light toxicity. These complexes therefore provide an excellent platform for the development of efficient luminescent cellular imaging agents with advantageous photophysical properties that enable excitation and emission in the biologically transparent region of the optical spectrum.

Platinum and Gold Complexes for OLEDs

Encouraging efforts on the design of high-performance organic materials and smart architecture during the past two decades have made organic light-emitting device (OLED) technology an important competitor for the existing liquid crystal displays. Particularly, the development of phosphorescent materials based on transition metals plays a crucial role for this success. Apart from the extensively studied iridium(III) complexes with d(6) electronic configuration and octahedral geometry, the coordination-unsaturated nature of d(8) transition metal complexes with square-planar structures has been found to provide intriguing spectroscopic and luminescence properties. This article briefly summarizes the development of d(8) platinum(II) and gold(III) complexes and their application studies in the fabrication of phosphorescent OLEDs. An in-depth understanding of the nature of the excited states has offered a great opportunity to fine-tune the emission colors covering the entire visible spectrum as well as to improve their photophysical properties. With good device engineering, high performance vacuum-deposited OLEDs with external quantum efficiencies (EQEs) of up to 30 % and solution-processable OLEDs with EQEs of up to 10 % have been realized by modifying the cyclometalated or pincer ligands of these metal complexes. These impressive demonstrations reveal that d(8) metal complexes are promising candidates as phosphorescent materials for OLED applications in displays as well as in solid-state lighting in the future.

A new insight into the chemistry of iridium(iii) complexes bearing phenyl phenylphosphonite cyclometalate and chelating pyridyl triazolate: the excited-state proton transfer tautomerism via an inter-ligand PO–H⋯N hydrogen bond

Ir(pdpit)(pppo)(bptz) complex (3) reveals a PO–H–N inter- ligand H-bond from which proton transfer takes place.

Heteroleptic Ir(III) complexes containing both azolate chromophoric chelate and diphenylphosphinoaryl cyclometalates; reactivities, electronic properties and applications

The synthesis of a new family of octahedral Ir(III) complexes with dual cyclometalating phosphine chelates, namely: 1-(diphenylphosphino)naphthalene (dpnaH) and isoquinoline (dppiH), is reported. Two series of intermediate complexes, [Ir(dpna)(tht)(2)Cl(2)] (1), [Ir(dpna)(2)(OAc)] (2), [Ir(dppiH)(dppi)Cl(2)] (3) and [Ir(dppi)(2)(OAc)] (4), which can be classified by the coexistence of either a pair of cis-chlorides or a single acetate chelate, were obtained from treatment of phosphine with [IrCl(3)(tht)(3)] (tht = tetrahydrothiophene). The in situ generated acetate complexes 2 and 4 could react with azolate chelates, namely: 5-(2-pyridyl)-3-trifluoromethyl pyrazole (fppzH) and 5-(1-isoquinolyl)-3-tert-butyl-1,2,4-triazole (iqbtzH), to afford a new series of luminescent complexes [Ir(dpna)(2)(fppz)] (5a and 5b), [Ir(dpna)(2)(iqbtz)] (6a and 6b), [Ir(dppi)(2)(fppz)] (7a) and [Ir(dppi)(2)(iqbtz)] (8a). The phosphorescence lifetime (τ(obs)) fell in the range of a few tens of μs, showing possession of excessive ligand-centered ππ* mixed in part with MLCT character. A density functional theory (DFT) study was also conducted in order to shed light on the origin of the transitions in the absorption and emission spectra and to predict emission energies for these complexes. Organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) displaying bright orange emission and with maximum η(ext) up to 17.1% were fabricated employing complexes 6a and 8a as the phosphorescent dopants.

Osmium Complexes with Tridentate 6-Pyrazol-3-yl 2,2′-Bipyridine Ligands: Coarse Tuning of Phosphorescence from the Red to the Near-Infrared Region

We have prepared and characterized a series of osmium complexes [Os2(CO)4(fpbpy)2] (1), [Os(CO)(fpbpy)2] (2), and [Os(fpbpy)2] (3) with tridentate 6-pyrazol-3-yl 2,2'-bipyridine chelating ligands. Upon the transformation of complex 2 into 3 through the elimination of the CO ligand, an extremely large change in the phosphorescence wavelength from 655 to 935 nm was observed. The results are rationalized qualitatively by the strong pi-accepting character of CO, which lowers the energy of the osmium d(pi) orbital, in combination with the lower degree of pi conjugation in 2 owing to the absence of one possible pyridine-binding site. As a result, the energy gap for both intraligand pi-pi* charge transfer (ILCT) and metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) is significantly greater in 2. Firm support for this explanation was also provided by the time-dependent DFT approach, the results of which led to the conclusion that the S0-->T1 transition mainly involves MLCT between the osmium center and bipyridine in combination with pyrazolate-to-bipyridine 3pi-pi* ILCT. The relatively weak near-infrared emission can be rationalized tentatively by the energy-gap law, according to which the radiationless deactivation may be governed by certain low-frequency motions with a high density of states. The information provided should allow the successful design of other emissive tridentate metal complexes, the physical properties of which could be significantly different from those of complexes with only a bidentate chromophore.

Contemporary progresses on neutral, highly emissive Os(ii) and Ru(ii) complexes

This tutorial review highlights recent and current advances in Os(II) and Ru(II) based luminescent complexes in view of their potential in providing models for photophysical properties and in serving as active materials in optoelectronic devices. It starts with a discussion of the fundamentals of pyridyl azolate chromophores and presents several prototypical designs that allow subtle variation of their basic properties. The third section of this article concerns the preparation of Os(II) and Ru(II) metal complexes and discusses the key factors that control their phosphorescence efficiencies and peak wavelengths. Attention is focused on the properties of their lowest lying excited states. In the last section, we present a series of related Os(II) complexes possessing pyridyl azolate, cyclometalated benzo[h]quinoline, beta-diketonates and quinolinates to demonstrate the power of fundamental basis to chemistry and theoretical approaches in rationalizing the corresponding photophysical behavior and hence to discuss the implications regarding their possible routes for future research.

Color tuning associated with heteroleptic cyclometalated Ir(iii) complexes: influence of the ancillary ligand

We report the preparation of a series of new heteroleptic Ir(III) metal complexes chelated by two cyclometalated 1-(2,4-difluorophenyl)pyrazole ligands (dfpz)H and a third ancillary bidentate ligand (L=X). Such an intricate design lies in a core concept that the cyclometalated dfpz ligands always warrant a greater pi pi* gap in these series of iridium complexes. Accordingly, the lowest one-electron excitation would accommodate the pi* orbital of the ancillary L=X ligands, the functionalization of which is then exploited to fine-tune the phosphorescent emission wavelengths. Amongst the L=X ligands designed, three classes (series 1-3) can be categorized, and remarkable bathochromic shifts of phosphorescence were observed by (i) replacing the 2-benzoxazol-2-yl substituent (1a) with the 2-benzothiazol-2-yl group (1b) in the phenolate complexes, (ii) converting the pyridyl group (2a) to the pyrazolyl group (2b) and even to the isoquinolyl group (2c) in the pyrazolate complexes and (iii) extending the pi-conjugation of the benzimidazolate ligand from 3a to 3b. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction study on complex [(dfpz)Ir(bzpz)] (2b) was conducted to confirm their general molecular architectures. Complex 2b was also used as a representative example for fabrication of multilayered, green-emitting phosphorescent OLEDs using the direct thermal evaporation technique.