Optically Active Mixed (Phthalocyaninato)(Porphyrinato) Rare Earth Triple-Decker Complexes. Synthesis, Spectroscopy, and Effective Chiral Information Transfer

Lanthanide-tetrapyrrole complexes: synthesis, redox chemistry, photophysical properties, and photonic applications

Tetrapyrrole derivatives such as porphyrins, phthalocyanines, naphthalocyanines, and porpholactones, are highly stable macrocyclic compounds that play important roles in many phenomena linked to the development of life. Their complexes with lanthanides are known for more than 60 years and present breath-taking properties such as a range of easily accessible redox states leading to photo- and electro-chromism, paramagnetism, large non-linear optical parameters, and remarkable light emission in the visible and near-infrared (NIR) ranges. They are at the centre of many applications with an increasing focus on their ability to generate singlet oxygen for photodynamic therapy coupled with bioimaging and biosensing properties. This review first describes the synthetic paths leading to lanthanide-tetrapyrrole complexes together with their structures. The initial synthetic protocols were plagued by low yields and long reaction times; they have now been replaced with much more efficient and faster routes, thanks to the stunning advances in synthetic organic chemistry, so that quite complex multinuclear edifices are presently routinely obtained. Aspects such as redox properties, sensitization of NIR-emitting lanthanide ions, and non-linear optical properties are then presented. The spectacular improvements in the quantum yield and brightness of Yb^III-containing tetrapyrrole complexes achieved in the past five years are representative of the vitality of the field and open welcome opportunities for the bio-applications described in the last section. Perspectives for the field are vast and exciting as new derivatizations of the macrocycles may lead to sensitization of other Ln^III NIR-emitting ions with luminescence in the NIR-II and NIR-III biological windows, while conjugation with peptides and aptamers opens the way for lanthanide-tetrapyrrole theranostics.

Lanthanoid Complexes as Molecular Materials: The Redox Approach

The development of molecular materials with novel functionality offers promise for technological innovation. Switchable molecules that incorporate redox-active components are enticing candidate compounds due to their potential for electronic manipulation. Lanthanoid metals are most prevalent in their trivalent state and usually redox-activity in lanthanoid complexes is restricted to the ligand. The unique electronic and physical properties of lanthanoid ions have been exploited for various applications, including in magnetic and luminescent materials as well as in catalysis. Lanthanoid complexes are also promising for applications reliant on switchability, where the physical properties can be modulated by varying the oxidation state of a coordinated ligand. Lanthanoid-based redox activity is also possible, encompassing both divalent and tetravalent metal oxidation states. Thus, utilization of redox-active lanthanoid metals offers an attractive opportunity to further expand the capabilities of molecular materials. This review surveys both ligand and lanthanoid centered redox-activity in pre-existing molecular systems, including tuning of lanthanoid magnetic and photophysical properties by modulating the redox states of coordinated ligands. Ultimately the combination of redox-activity at both ligands and metal centers in the same molecule can afford novel electronic structures and physical properties, including multiconfigurational electronic states and valence tautomerism. Further targeted exploration of these features is clearly warranted, both to enhance understanding of the underlying fundamental chemistry, and for the generation of a potentially important new class of molecular material.

Recent Progress in Optically-Active Phthalocyanines and Their Related Azamacrocycles

Optically-active phthalocyanines (Pcs) and related macrocycles reported in the 2010-2020 period are introduced in this review. They are grouped into several categories: (1) chiral binaphthyl-containing Pcs, (2) optically active alkyl chain-containing Pcs, (3) chiral axial ligand- coordinated or -linked Pcs, (4) chiral subphthalocyanines (SubPcs), and (5) related azamacrocycles. For each compound, the structure and important characteristics are summarized.

Cation-controlled catalysis with crown ether-containing transition metal complexes

This Feature Article reviews the structural motifs and catalytic applications of crown ether-containing catalysts and details the development of “pincer-crown ether” ligands for applications in controlled catalysis.

Microwave-Mediated Synthesis of Bulky Lanthanide Porphyrin-Phthalocyanine Triple-Deckers: Electrochemical and Magnetic Properties

Five heteroleptic lanthanide porphyrin-bis-phthalocyanine triple-decker complexes with bulky peripheral groups were prepared via microwave-assisted synthesis and characterized in terms of their spectroscopic, electrochemical, and magnetic properties. These compounds, which were easily obtained under our preparative conditions, would normally not be accessible in large quantities using conventional synthetic methods, as a result of the low yield resulting from steric congestion of bulky groups on the periphery of the phthalocyanine and porphyrin ligands. The electrochemically investigated triple-decker derivatives undergo four reversible one-electron oxidations and three reversible one-electron reductions. The sites of oxidation and reduction were assigned on the basis of redox potentials and UV-vis spectral changes during electron-transfer processes monitored by thin-layer spectroelectrochemistry, in conjunction with assignments of electronic absorption bands of the neutral compounds. Magnetic susceptibility measurements on two derivatives containing Tb^III and Dy^III metal ions reveal the presence of ferromagnetic interactions, probably resulting from magnetic dipolar interactions. The Tb^III derivative shows SMM behavior under an applied field of 0.1 T, where the direct and Orbach process can be determined, resulting in an energy barrier of U_eff = 132.0 K. However, Cole-Cole plots reveal the presence of two relaxation processes, the second of which takes place at higher frequencies, with the data conforming to a 1/t ∝ T⁷ relation, thus suggesting that it can be assigned to a Raman process. Attempts were made to form two-dimensional (2D) self-assembled networks on a highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) surface but were unsuccessful due to bulky peripheral groups on the two Pc macrocycles.

Optically Active Porphyrin and Phthalocyanine Systems

This review highlights and summarizes various optically active porphyrin and phthalocyanine molecules prepared using a wide range of structural modification methods to improve the design of novel structures and their applications. The induced chirality of some illustrative achiral bis-porphyrins with a chiral guest molecule is introduced because these systems are ideal for the identification and separation of chiral biologically active substrates. In addition, the relationship between CD signal and the absolute configuration of the molecule is analyzed through an analysis of the results of molecular modeling calculations. Possible future research directions are also discussed.

Regiospecific synthesis of lanthanum(III) and neodymium(III) triple-decker (tetrakis-meso-(3-bromophenyl)-porphyrinato)(crownphthalocyaninates)

The triple-decker complexes of symmetrical type [m Br 4 TPP ] Ln [(15 C 5)4 Pc ] Ln [m Br 4 TPP ] ( Ln -m TD ; Ln = La , Nd ; [(15 C 5)4 Pc ] = tetra-(15-crown-5)-phthalocyaninato-ligand; [m Br 4 TPP ] = tetrakis-meso-(3-bromophenyl)-porphyrinato-ligand) are synthesized for the first time with 43% and 36% yield. The applicability of the previously developed selective one-step synthetic approach for the preparation of the mentioned complexes is demonstrated and the limitations, determined by meta-substitution of meso-aryl-fragments, are revealed. The spectral features of the obtained complexes is determined by means of UV-vis and NMR spectroscopy. The hindered rotation of porphyrin meso-substituents in the obtained complexes and formation of statistical set of atropisomers are demonstrated.

Selective one-step synthesis of triple-decker (porphyrinato)(phthalocyaninato) early lanthanides: the balance of concurrent processes

An effective one-step approach for the preparation of (porphyrinato)(phthalocyaninato) early lanthanides of type [Br(4)TPP]Ln[(15C5)(4)Pc]Ln[Br(4)TPP], where Br(4)TPP = 5,10,15,20-tetrakis-(4-bromophenyl)-porphyrinato-ligand, (15C5)(4)Pc = tetrakis-(15-crown-5)-phthalocyaninato-ligand and Ln = La, Pr, Nd or Eu, is developed. The influence of various factors on the reaction pathway and yields of the complexes is investigated in detail. The developed protocol is found to be general for the early lanthanide subgroup. Variation of the synthetic conditions allowed the determination and isolation of possible side-products, namely heteroleptic double-deckers [Br(4)TPP]Ln[(15C5)(4)Pc] (Ln = Nd, Eu) and triple-decker [Br(4)TPP]Nd[(15C5)(4)Pc]Nd[(15C5)(4)Pc]. The peculiarities of the NMR lanthanide-induced shifts (LIS) of resonances of the synthesized triple-decker complexes are precisely investigated. The isostructurality of the synthesized complexes within the series as well as isostructurality with previously synthesized compounds is demonstrated in terms of two-nuclei analysis of LIS.