Unravelling the Key Driving Forces of the Spin Transition in π-Dimers of Spiro-biphenalenyl-Based Radicals

Modulation of Properties by Ion Changing Based on Luminescent Ionic Salts Consisting of Spirobi(boron ketoiminate)

We report development of luminescent ionic salts consisting of the boron ketoiminate structure, which is one of the robust skeletons for expressing aggregation-induced emission (AIE) properties. From the formation of the boron-centered spiro structure with the ketoiminate ligands, we obtained stable ionic salts with variable anions. Since the ionic salts show T_ms below 100 °C, it was shown that these salts can be classified as an ionic liquid. By using PF₆ anion, the single crystal—which is applicable for X-ray crystallography—was obtained. According to the optical measurements, it was proposed that electronic interaction should occur through the boron center. Moreover, intense emission was observed both in solution and solid. Finally, we demonstrated that the emission color of the PF₆ salt was altered from crystal to amorphous by adding mechanical forces. Based on boron complexation and intrinsic solid-state luminescent characters, we achieved obtainment of emissive ionic materials with environmental responsivity.

Phenalenyl Radical: Smallest Polycyclic Odd Alternant Hydrocarbon Present in the Graphene Sheet

Phenalenyl, a zigzag-edged odd alternant hydrocarbon unit can be found in the graphene nanosheet. Hückel molecular orbital calculations indicate the presence of a nonbonding molecular orbital (NBMO), which originates from the linear combination of atomic orbitals (LCAO) arising from 13 carbon atoms of the phenalenyl molecule. Three redox states (cationic, neutral radical, and anionic) of the phenalenyl-based molecules were attributed to the presence of this NBMO. The cationic state can undergo two consecutive reductions to result in neutral radical and anionic states, stepwise, respectively. The phenalenyl-based radicals were found as crucial building blocks and attracted the attention of various research fields such as organic synthesis, material science, computation, and device physics. From 2012 onward, a strategy was devised using the cationic state of phenalenyl-based molecules and in situ generated phenalenyl radicals, which created a new domain of catalysis. The in situ generated phenalenyl radicals were utilized for the single electron transfer (SET) process resulting in redox catalysis. This emerging range of applications rejuvenates the more than six decades-old phenalenyl chemistry. This review captures such developments ranging from fundamental understanding to multidirectional applications of phenalenyl-based radicals.

Periodic B- and N-doped phenalenyl π-aggregates: unexpected nonlinear optical properties by tuning pancake π-π bonding

Phenalenyl (PLY) and its derivatives could form one-dimensional π-aggregates through pancake π-π bonding, which would lead to exotic optoelectronic properties. We will highlight the key aspects of the PLY derivatives from the design strategies to exploration of the electronic properties. Here, we primarily construct alternating boron (B)- and nitrogen (N)-doped PLY π-aggregates: dimer[12], trimer[12-1], trimer[12-2], tetramer[12]₂, pentamer[12]₂-1, pentamer[12]₂-2, and hexamer[12]₃. The geometric and electronic structures show that the short intermolecular distances of the π-aggregates drive the formation of pancake π-π bonding. Significantly, the molecular structures show periodic changes in the π-aggregates, but the first hyperpolarizabilities (β_tot) present unexpected changes, which are found to increase sharply with increasing even layer thickness due to intermolecular charge transfer. The β_tot value of hexamer[12]₃ (5.72 × 10⁴ a.u.) is 6.4 times that of tetramer[12]₂ (8.95 × 10³ a.u.), and is 22.4 times that of dimer[12] (2.55 × 10³ a.u.). Thus, constructing π-aggregates can significantly improve the second-order NLO response, which is mainly due to intermolecular charge transfer through pancake π-π bonding of the interlayers.

Ground Triplet Spirobiradical: 2,2',7,7'-Tetra( tert-butyl)-9,9'(10 H,10' H)-spirobiacridine-10,10'-dioxyl

A new spirobiradical, 2,2',7,7'-tetra( tert-butyl)-9,9'(10 H,10' H)-spirobiacridine-10,10'-dioxyl, was prepared. The crystallographic analysis clarified the D_{2 d} molecular structure, suggesting the degeneracy of SOMOs. The magnetic study revealed that intramolecular ferromagnetic coupling was operative with 2 J/ k_B = +23(1) K. To the best of our knowledge, the ferromagnetic coupling parameter is the largest ever reported for a paramagnetic spiro compound.

Effect of Substitution on the Hysteretic Phase Transition in a Bistable Phenalenyl-Based Neutral Radical Molecular Conductor

The ability to tune the physical properties of bistable organic functional materials by means of chemistry can facilitate their development for molecular electronic switching components. The butylamine-containing biphenalenyl boron neutral radical, [Bu]₂ B, crystalline compound has recently attracted significant attention by displaying a hysteretic phase transition accompanied by simultaneous bistability in magnetic, electrical, and optical properties close to room temperature. In this report, substitutional doping was applied to [Bu]₂ B by crystallizing solid solutions of bistable [Bu]₂ B and its non-radical-containing counterpart [Bu]₂ Be. With increasing doping degree, the hysteretic phase transition is gradually suppressed in terms of reducing the height, but conserves the width of the hysteresis loop as observed through magnetic susceptibility and electrical conductivity measurements. At the critical doping level of about 6 %, the abrupt transformation of the crystal structure to that of the pure [Bu]₂ Be crystal packing was observed, accompanied by a complete collapse of the hysteresis loop. Further study of the structure-properties relationships of bistable neutral radical conductors based on the [Bu]₂ B host can be conducted utilizing a variety of biphenalenyl-based molecular conductors.

Stimulating intra- and intermolecular charge transfer and nonlinear optical response for biphenalenyl biradicaloid dimer under an external electric field

External electric fields were found to induce intra- and intermolecular charge transfer and strengthen the second-order nonlinear optical responses of π-dimers.

Interactions of Metal-Based and Ligand-Based Electronic Spins in Neutral Tripyrrindione π Dimers

The ability of tetrapyrrolic macrocycles to stabilize unpaired electrons and engage in π-π interactions is essential for many electron-transfer processes in biology and materials engineering. Herein, we demonstrate that the formation of π dimers is recapitulated in complexes of a linear tripyrrolic analogue of naturally occurring pigments derived from heme decomposition. Hexaethyltripyrrindione (H₃TD1) coordinates divalent transition metals (i.e., Pd, Cu, Ni) as a stable dianionic radical and was recently described as a robust redox-active ligand. The resulting planar complexes, which feature a delocalized ligand-based electronic spin, are stable at room temperature in air and support ligand-based one-electron processes. We detail the dimerization of neutral tripyrrindione complexes in solution through electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and visible absorption spectroscopic methods. Variable-temperature measurements using both EPR and absorption techniques allowed determination of the thermodynamic parameters of π dimerization, which resemble those previously reported for porphyrin radical cations. The inferred electronic structure, featuring coupling of ligand-based electronic spins in the π dimers, is supported by density functional theory (DFT) calculations.

The quest for rationalizing the magnetism in purely organic semiquinone-bridged bisdithiazolyl molecular magnets

Semiquinone-bridged bisdithiazolyl-based radicals (XBBO) are appealing purely organic magnetic building blocks for the synthesis of new functional materials. Remarkably, for the phenyl-derivative PhBBO, the rationalization of its magnetism becomes a proof of concept that DFT can dramatically fail to evaluate JAB magnetic interactions between purely organic radical pairs. Instead, wavefunction-based methods are required. Once JAB's are fully characterized, the magnetic topology of PhBBO is disclosed to consist of ferromagnetic FM π-stacks that are very weakly coupled (by FM and AFM JAB interactions). The magnetic susceptibility χT(T) and magnetization M(H) of PhBBO are then calculated using a first-principles bottom-up approach. The study of the unit cell contraction upon cooling from room temperature to zero-Kelvin is relevant to propose a suitable model for the phase transition that occurs at 4.5 K. A simplistic picture tells us that the antiparallel-aligned 1D-FM-chains convert into domains of weakly either FM- or AFM-coupled 1D-FM-chains. Accordingly, the presence of these domains may introduce geometrical spin frustration below 4.5 K.