Electrogenerated Chemiluminescence. 81. Influence of Donor and Acceptor Substituents on the ECL of a Spirobifluorene-Bridged Bipolar System

Electrochemiluminescence of dimethylaminonaphthalene-oxazaborine donor-acceptor luminophores

Donor-acceptor (D-A) type molecules with a skeleton consisting of a dimethylaminonaphthalene donor and an oxazaborine acceptor were designed as efficient electrochemiluminescence (ECL) luminophores with tunable intramolecular charge transfer (ICT). The D-A ECL luminophores demonstrated that the ICT characteristics play a critical role in the electrochemistry and ECL of luminophores in the presence of tri-n-propylamine, which was rationalised experimentally and computationally. Furthemore, dual-peaked ECL-potential behaviours of the luminophores were rationalised using two competitive pathway ECL mechanisms, elucidated through the use of spooling ECL spectroscopy.

Spiro-Based Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence Emitters with Reduced Nonradiative Decay for High-Quantum-Efficiency, Low-Roll-Off, Organic Light-Emitting Diodes

Herein, we report the use of spiro-configured fluorene-xanthene scaffolds as a novel, promising, and effective strategy in thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitter design to attain high photoluminescence quantum yields (Φ_PL), short delayed luminescence lifetime, high external quantum efficiency (EQE), and minimum efficiency roll-off characteristics in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). The optoelectronic and electroluminescence properties of SFX (spiro-(fluorene-9,9'-xanthene))-based emitters (SFX-PO-DPA, SFX-PO-DPA-Me, and SFX-PO-DPA-OMe) were investigated both theoretically and experimentally. All three emitters exhibited sky blue to green emission enabled by a Herzberg-Teller mechanism in the excited state. They possess short excited-state delayed lifetimes (<10 μs), high photoluminescence quantum yields (Φ_PL ∼ 70%), and small singlet-triplet splitting energies (ΔE_ST < 0.10 eV) in the doped films in an mCP host matrix. The OLEDs showed some of the highest EQEs using spiro-containing emitters where maximum external quantum efficiencies (EQE_max) of 11 and 16% were obtained for devices using SFX-PO-DPA and SFX-PO-DPA-OMe, respectively. Further, a record EQE_max of 23% for a spiro-based emitter coupled with a low efficiency roll-off (19% at 100 cd m^-2) was attained with SFX-PO-DPA-Me.

White Light Luminescence from a Homo-conjugated Molecule with Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence

Luminophores with tunable emission properties are appealing due to various applications. Among those properties, thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) has been attracting enormous research interests. Herein, we synthesized a 9,9'-spirobifluorene based homo-conjugated molecule 1, which connects a diphenylamino moiety as electron donor and a naphthalimide group as electron acceptor via 2,2'-positions of spirofluorene. Compound 1 displays dual emission behaviour with both blue and orange fluorescence. The one orange fluorescence around 555 nmshows sensitivity to oxygen and a prolonged lifetime of 284 ns in degassed toluene. Such characteristics imply TADF nature for this emission from a charge-transfer excited state. The other emission at 440 nm with blue colour displayed resistance to oxygen quenching and a normal fluorescence lifetime of 1.5 ns. Compared with control molecule, this emission band is assigned as conventional fluorescence from a localized excited state. In addition, dual emission property allows molecule 1 to be modulated to emit white photoluminescence in thin film with a CIE color coordinate of (0.25, 0.33).

Photophysics, Electrochemistry and Efficient Electrochemiluminescence of Trigonal Truxene-Core Dyes

We synthesized and characterized a series of dyes built from a spirofluorene or truxene core. The quadrupolar spirofluorene system is the initial building unit for the design and preparation of more complex star-shaped dyes consisting of a truxene core bearing three di- or triphenylamine moieties with or without a thiophene connector. Their photophysical, electrochemical, and electrochemiluminescence (ECL) properties were first investigated in solution. Structure/activity relationships were derived and rationalized by comparing the quadrupolar system and trigonal truxene-core derivatives using computational studies. The photophysical and redox characteristics are drastically tuned by the introduction of a thiophene bridge and electron-donor substituents at their terminal branches. These comparative studies show the essential role of the stability of both radical cations and anions to obtain efficient ECL dyes. The stabilization of the radicals is directly related to the charge delocalization due to the π-conjugation by the thiophene bridge. The brightest ECL is achieved by annihilation and coreactant (benzoyl peroxide) pathways with the blue-emitting truxene dye, which is 2- and 4.5-times greater than that of the quadrupolar compound and reference [Ru(bpy)₃ ]²⁺ emitter, respectively. Such an extensive study on these extended π-conjugated molecules presenting different core structures may guide the design and synthesis of new ECL dyes with a strong efficiency.

Improving the Electropolymerization Properties of Fluorene-Bridged Dicarbazole Monomers through Polyfluoroalkyl Side Chains

The facile functionalization of the fluorene scaffold at the 2,7-positions was utilized to provide access to two soluble carbazole-π-carbazole derivatives CFC-H1 and CFC-F1 featuring fully hydrogenated and polyfluorinated alkyl chains at the 9-position of the fluorene π-bridging unit, respectively. The optical and electrochemical properties of the new dicarbazoles were investigated. Their electrochemical polymerization over Pt and indium tin oxide electrodes allowed the generation of electroactive polymeric films, whose physicochemical characteristics were strongly dependent on the kind of alkyl chain present on the fluorene bridge. In particular, the electropolymerization of the polyfluorinated monomer allowed the fabrication of thin films with good electrical conductivity, reversible electrochemical processes, good electrochromic properties, and enhanced water repellency with respect to its nonfluorinated analogue.

Synthesis of poly(spirosilabifluorene) copolymers and their improved stability in blue emitting polymer LEDs over non-spiro analogs

PHSSF-co-PDHSF exhibits blue luminescence, high quantum efficiency and thermal stability. Electroluminescence of OLEDs is more stable than non-spiro poly(silafluorene) devices.

Dynamics of Intramolecular Hydrogen-Atom Migrations in 2-Hydroxy-3-nitropyridine Studied by Low-Temperature Matrix-Isolation Infrared Spectroscopy and Density Functional Theory Calculation

Intramolecular hydrogen-atom migrations in 2-hydroxy-3-nitropyridine have been investigated by low-temperature matrix-isolation infrared (IR) spectroscopy with the aid of density functional theory (DFT) calculation. An IR spectrum measured after deposition was assigned to an enol isomer, the conformation of which is anti in relation to OH versus N in the pyridine ring. When the matrix sample was exposed to UV and visible light (lambda>350 nm), an IR spectrum consistent with a keto product was observed. During the irradiation, an IR spectrum of a transient species, a photoreaction intermediate between anti-enol and keto, was observed, which was assigned to syn-enol. The bands of syn-enol disappeared completely when the irradiation was stopped, while those of the original isomer, anti-enol, reappeared. No reverse isomerization was observable in the corresponding deuterated species. This led to the conclusion that the isomerization from syn to anti occurs through hydrogen-atom tunneling. On the other hand, an aci-nitro form was produced by UV irradiation (lambda=365+/-10 nm) without visible light. The conformation around the aci-nitro group was determined to be cis-cis by comparison with the spectral patterns obtained by the DFT/B3LYP/6-31++G** calculation. The dynamics of the hydrogen-atom migrations between anti- and syn-enols, syn-enol and keto, and anti-enol and aci-nitro are discussed in terms of the potential surfaces obtained by the DFT calculation.

Doubly Ortho-Linked Quinoxaline/Diphenylfluorene Hybrids as Bipolar, Fluorescent Chameleons for Optoelectronic Applications

The titled dipolar hybrids bearing a central quinoxaline-fused dibenzosuberene optoelectronic unit with functional C5 and C8 appendages and spiro-fluorene junction act as fluorescent bipolar OLED chameleons. The emission colors can be tuned from blue, green, yellow, to red with operation brightness of 205, 1268, 1542, and 1102 cd/m2, respectively, at 20 mA/cm2.

Toward pi-conjugated molecule bundles: synthesis of a series of B,B',B''-trianthryl-N,N',N''-triarylborazines and the bundle effects on their properties

As a prototype of a pi-conjugated molecule bundled system, a series of B,B',B''-trianthryl- N,N',N''-triarylborazine derivatives bearing various p-substituted phenyl groups (p-R-C(6)H(4): R = hexyl (1), i-Pr (2), CF(3) (3), Br (5)) as aryl groups was designed and synthesized. The crystal structure analysis of these derivatives confirmed that the three anthryl and three phenyl groups are bundled up alternately in a C(3) symmetrical gear-shaped fashion. On the basis of this structure, the trianthrylborazine derivatives form a unique honeycomblike packing structure consisting of intermolecular pi-stacking of the anthryl moieties. Significant bundle effects were observed in the photophysical and electrochemical properties of these compounds. In their fluorescence spectra, the trianthrylborazine derivatives (1-3) show intense emissions around 390 nm, whose quantum yields (1, Phi(F) = 0.62; 2, Phi(F) = 0.59; 3, Phi(F) = 0.63) are about twice high as that of anthracene (Phi(F) = 0.27). The cyclic voltammetry measurements show that the oxidation peak potential can be tuned by varying the substituents on the phenyl moieties. Theoretical calculations (B3LYP/ 6-31G(d)) suggested that secondary through-bond/through-space interactions in the bundled structure play an important role in the tuning of these properties. Facile structural derivatization at the 10-position of the anthryl moieties of trianthrylborazine was conducted to demonstrate the utility of the borazine skeleton as a core framework for new organic electronic materials.

Synthesis, Structures, and Photoinduced Electron Transfer Reaction in the 9,9‘-Spirobifluorene-Bridged Bipolar Systems

[reaction: see text] A series of 9,9'-spirobifluorene-bridged bipolar compounds DnAm bearing various n:m ratios for triarylamine (D) versus 1,3,4-oxadiazole-conjugated oligoaryl moiety (A) have been synthesized to investigate the corresponding photoinduced electron transfer (PET) property. The excitation behaviors were probed by steady-state absorption, emission, fluorescence solvatochromism, and femtosecond fluorescence up-conversion spectroscopy. The overall reaction dynamics can be rationalized by the rate of PET, in combination with solvent relaxation dynamics. It was found that the rate of PET is dependent on the anchored D/A ratio. The rate of D1A1 and D2A1 was resolved to be approximately 2.44 x 10(12) and 2.32 x 10(12) s(-)(1), respectively, while it is irresolvable in D1A2 and D2A2 (>6.6 x 10(12) s(-)(1)). In another approach, based on the comprehensive X-ray data, cyclic voltammetry, and absorption/emission spectra, the rate of photoinduced electron transfer was also qualitatively estimated. Fair comparisons were made between experimental and theoretical approaches to gain detailed insight into the PET for the titled systems.

Efficient Emission from Charge Recombination during the Pulse Radiolysis of Electrochemical Luminescent Donor−Acceptor Molecules with an Ethynyl Linkage

Efficient monomer and excimer emission from various donor-acceptor substituted phenylethynes (PE), which are known as efficient electrogenerated chemiluminescent molecules, was observed with time-resolved fluorescence measurement during the pulse radiolysis in benzene. On the basis of the transient absorption and emission measurements, and steady-state measurements, the formation of PE in the singlet excited state (1PE*) and the excimer (1PE2*) can be interpreted by the charge recombination between the PE radical cation (PE.+) and the PE radical anion (PE.-) which are generated initially from the radiolytic reaction in benzene. It is suggested that the positive and negative charges are localized on the donor and acceptor moieties in the radical cation and anion, respectively. This mechanism is reasonably explained by the relationship between the annihilation enthalpy changes (-DeltaH' degrees ) and singlet excitation energies of donor-substituted phenyl(9-acridinyl)ethynes (1(a-e)). In addition to the monomer emission, the compounds bearing weak donors (1(a-d)) show the excimer emission due to a very small twist angle between the donor and acceptor moieties. For the phenyl(9-cyano-10-anthracenyl)ethynes (2(c) and 2(f)), although they also show the monomer and excimer emissions, it cannot be explained by the relationship between -DeltaH' degrees values and their singlet excitation energies, suggesting the formation of the ICT state and H-type excimer in which two 9-cyano-10-anthracenyl moieties are stacked face-to-face with donor bearing a benzene ring projecting perpendicularly away from each other through the charge recombination between 2.+) and 2.-) and/or triplet-triplet annihilation.

Improved Synthesis of 2,2‘-Dibromo-9,9‘-spirobifluorene and Its 2,2‘-Bisdonor-7,7‘-bisacceptor-Substituted Fluorescent Derivatives

Pure 2,2'-Dibromo-9,9'-spirobifluorene was synthesized by a method that did not involve troublesome dibromination of 9,9'-spirobifluorene or Sandmeyer reaction of 2,2'-diamino-9,9'-spirobifluorene. A series of donor-acceptor orthogonally substituted 9,9'-spirobifluorene was subsequently prepared showing rich variation of fluorescence in solution and in solid state. [reaction: see text]

Efficient Emission from Charge Recombination during the Pulse Radiolysis of Electrochemical Luminescent Substituted Quinolines with Donor−Acceptor Character

Efficient emission from various donor-acceptor quinolines with an ethynyl linkage (PnQ), which are known as efficient electrogenerated chemiluminescent molecules, was observed with time-resolved fluorescence measurement during the pulse radiolysis in benzene. On the basis of the transient absorption and emission measurements, and steady-state measurements, the formation of PnQ in the singlet excited state can be interpreted by charge recombination between the PnQ radical cation and the PnQ radical anion which are generated initially from the radiolytic reaction in benzene. The strong electronic coupling between the donor and acceptor through conjugation is responsible for the efficient emission during the pulse radiolysis of PnQ in benzene. It is suggested that the positive and negative charges are localized on the donor and acceptor moieties in the radical cation and anion, respectively. This mechanism is reasonably explained by the relationship between the annihilation enthalpy changes and singlet excitation energies of PnQ. The formation of the intramolecular charge transfer state is assumed for PnQ in the singlet excited state with a strong electron donating substituent. The emission from PnQ is suggested to originate from PnQ in the singlet excited state formed from the charge recombination between the PnQ radical cation and the PnQ radical anion during the pulse radiolysis. This is strong evidence for the efficient electrogenerated chemiluminescence of PnQ.