Alkynylated Aceno[2,1,3]thiadiazoles

Electron-Rich Diruthenium Complexes with π-Extended Alkenyl Ligands and Their F4 TCNQ Charge-Transfer Salts

The synthesis of dinuclear ruthenium alkenyl complexes with {Ru(CO)(Pi Pr3 )2 (L)} entities (L=Cl- in complexes Ru2 -3 and Ru2 -7; L=acetylacetonate (acac- ) in complexes Ru2 -4 and Ru2 -8) and with π-conjugated 2,7-divinylphenanthrenediyl (Ru2 -3, Ru2 -4) or 5,8-divinylquinoxalinediyl (Ru2 -7, Ru2 -8) as bridging ligands are reported. The bridging ligands are laterally π-extended by anellating a pyrene (Ru2 -7, Ru2 -8) or a 6,7-benzoquinoxaline (Ru2 -3, Ru2 -4) π-perimeter. This was done with the hope that the open π-faces of the electron-rich complexes will foster association with planar electron acceptors via π-stacking. The dinuclear complexes were subjected to cyclic and square-wave voltammetry and were characterized in all accessible redox states by IR, UV/Vis/NIR and, where applicable, by EPR spectroscopy. These studies signified the one-electron oxidized forms of divinylphenylene-bridged complexes Ru2 -7, Ru2 -8 as intrinsically delocalized mixed-valent species, and those of complexes Ru2 -3 and Ru2 -4 with the longer divinylphenanthrenediyl linker as partially localized on the IR, yet delocalized on the EPR timescale. The more electron-rich acac- congeners formed non-conductive 1 : 1 charge-transfer (CT) salts on treatment with the F4 TCNQ electron acceptor. All spectroscopic techniques confirmed the presence of pairs of complex radical cations and F4 TCNQ.- radical anions in these CT salts, but produced no firm evidence for the relevance of π-stacking to their formation and properties.

Cata-Annulated Azaacene Bisimides

Ultra‐electron‐deficient azaacenes were synthesized via Buchwald‐Hartwig coupling of ortho‐diaminoarenes with chlorinated mellophanic diimide followed by oxidation of the intermediate N,N’‐dihydro compounds with MnO₂ or PbO₂. The resulting cata‐annulated bisimide azaacenes have ultrahigh electron affinities with first reduction potentials as low as −0.35 V recorded for a tetraazapentacene. Attempts to prepare a tetrakis(dicarboximide)tetraazaheptacene resulted in the formation of a symmetric butterfly dimer.

Anthrathiadiazole Derivatives: Synthesis, Physical Properties and Two-photon Absorption

Anthrathiadiazole is a key synthon for the construction of large azaacenes, however, the attachment of different substituents onto the skeleton of anthrathiadiazole is difficult but highly desirable because it could be easy to enrich the structures of azaacenes. Here, it is demonstrated that anthrathiadiazole derivatives with -Br, -CN, and -OCH₃ groups could be easily constructed through a simple [4+2] cycloaddition reaction between a,a,a',a'-tetrabromo-o-xylenes derivatives and benzo[c][1,2,5]thiadiazole-4,7-dione. The structures of the as-prepared compounds with different substituents were carefully characterized. Moreover, the basic physical properties of the as-prepared anthrathiadiazole derivatives were fully investigated, where the cyano-substituted derivative (BTH-CN) has the highest stability and the methoxy-substituted derivative (BTH-OCH₃ ) is easy to be oxidized. Moreover, the two-photon absorption (TPA) characteristics of different anthrathiadiazoles are also studied by using the femtosecond Z-scan technique. The results show that the fused anthrathiadiazole skeletons possess large TPA cross-section values δ₂ in the range of 3000-5000 GM, where the nature, position and strength of the substituted groups have strong effect on these values.

Rational Molecular Design of Azaacene-Based Narrowband Green-Emitting Fluorophores: Modulation of Spectral Bandwidth and Vibronic Transitions

A series of green-emitting fluorophores based on a tetra-azaacene core is synthesized by introducing nitrile substituents at different positions. Their molecular structure-optical property relationship [i.e., vibronic transitions in photoluminescence (PL) and electroluminescence (EL) spectra] is investigated to obtain a sharp emission where the vibronic peak ν_0-0 should be intensified by suppressing ν_0-n (n = 1, 2, 3...) transitions. The intensity ratios (I_0-1/I_0-0) of the ν_0-1 and ν_0-0 vibronic transitions in the PL spectra of DBBNP, DBBNP2CN1, and DBBNP2CN2 in hexane are 1.13, 0.80, and 0.67, respectively. Theoretical calculations explain that the CN substitution at positions 8 and 13 in DBBNP2CN2 induces a uniform charge distribution and reduces the Huang-Rhys factors (HRFs) of the vibrational normal modes coupled to the electronic transition. The organic light-emitting diode (OLED) fabricated with DBBNP2CN2 shows a narrower green EL emission at 518 nm with a smaller bandwidth (50 nm) than those of devices adopting DBBNP or DBBNP2CN1. The careful modification of the molecular structures and positions of substituents enables us to reduce the HRFs of vibrations to achieve a narrow emission bandwidth with decreased I_0-1/I_0-0, which suggests a design strategy to develop narrowband organic fluorophores to improve the color purity for wide-gamut OLED displays.

Multicolor Mechanofluorophores for the Quantitative Detection of Covalent Bond Scission in Polymers

The fracture of polymer materials is a multiscale process starting with the scission of a single molecular bond advancing to a site of failure within the bulk. Quantifying the bonds broken during this process remains a big challenge yet would help to understand the distribution and dissipation of macroscopic mechanical energy. We here show the design and synthesis of fluorogenic molecular optical force probes (mechanofluorophores) covering the entire visible spectrum in both absorption and emission. Their dual fluorescent character allows to track non-broken and broken bonds in dissolved and bulk polymers by fluorescence spectroscopy and microscopy. Importantly, we develop an approach to determine the absolute number and relative fraction of intact and cleaved bonds with high local resolution. We anticipate that our mechanofluorophores in combination with our quantification methodology will allow to quantitatively describe fracture processes in materials ranging from soft hydrogels to high-performance polymers.

Collecting up to 115% of Singlet-Fission Products by Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

In this contribution, we focused on integrating a phenylene-bridged dibenzodiazahexacene dimer (o-DAD), which is singlet fission (SF) active, onto single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) as a low-energy sink for energetically low lying excited states that stem from SF. Spectroscopic and microscopic assays assisted in documenting that SWCNT/o-DAD feature high stability in THF as a result of electronic interactions between the individual constituents. For example, statistical Raman analysis underlined n-doping of SWCNTs in the presence of o-DAD. Fluorescence spectroscopy prompted an energy transfer between the individual constituents, a conclusion that was exclusively derived from the quenching of the o-DAD-centered fluorescence. Excitation spectroscopy with a focus on the SWCNT fluorescence confirmed independently this conclusion by showing o-DAD-centered features. Our work was rounded off by time-resolved transient absorption measurements with SWCNT/o-DAD, in which evidence was gathered for the sequential o-DAD-centered SF with an efficiency of 112% followed by a unidirectional energy transfer from o-DAD to SWCNT and a rapid deactivation. The energy transfer efficiency from SF products such as (S₁S₀)_CT and ¹(T₁T₁) exceeded the 100% threshold with values of 115%, which is conventionally found in energy transfer schemes.

Microporous Triptycene-Based Affinity Materials on Quartz Crystal Microbalances for Tracing of Illicit Compounds

Triptycene-based organic molecules of intrinsic microporosity (OMIMs) with extended functionalized π-surfaces are excellent materials for gas sorption and separation. In this study, the affinities of triptycene-based OMIM affinity materials on 195 MHz high-fundamental-frequency quartz crystal microbalances (HFF-QCMs) for hazardous and illicit compounds such as piperonal and (-)-norephedrine were determined. Both new and existing porous triptycene-based affinity materials were investigated, resulting in very high sensitivities and selectivities that could be applied for sensing purposes. Remarkable results were found for safrole - a starting material for illicit compounds such as ecstasy. A systematic approach highlights the effects of different size of π-surfaces of these affinity materials, allowing a classification of the properties that might be optimal for the design of future OMIM-based affinity materials.

Singlet Fission in Pyrene-Fused Azaacene Dimers

Singlet fission has emerged as a promising strategy to avoid the loss of extra energy through thermalization in solar cells. A family of dimers consisting of nitrogen-doped pyrene-fused acenes that undergo singlet fission with triplet quantum yields as high as 125 % are presented. They provide new perspectives for nitrogenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and for the design of new materials for singlet fission.

U-Shaped Helical Azaarenes: Synthesis, Structures, and Properties

The synthesis and properties of a series of U-shaped helical azaarenes are reported. Crystal structures of these helical azaarenes were obtained, and the solid-state structures unequivocally exhibited their helicity.

Sulfur-Containing Bent N-Heteroacenes

A series of novel sulfur-containing bent N-heteroacenes were constructed and characterized by NMR and UV/Vis spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. By introducing sulfur-containing groups (thio, sulfinyl, and sulfonyl) into bent azaacenes, their electronic delocalization was improved and frontier energy levels were modulated. The target products displayed tunable optical and electronic properties through altering the valence of sulfur and fused length of the azaacenes. For the first time, typical products were utilized as organic field effect transistor materials, affording promising results.

Helical Ullazine-Quinoxaline-Based Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

Polycyclic aromatic azomethine ylides (PAMYs) are powerful building blocks in the bottom-up synthesis of internally nitrogen-containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (N-PAHs) through 1,3-cycloaddition reactions. In this work, the cycloaddition reaction of PAMYs to asymmetric ortho-quinones is presented, which, in contrast to the addition to symmetric para-quinones, facilitates subsequent condensation reactions and allows the synthesis of three helical N-PAHs with ullazine-quinoxaline (UQ-1-3) backbones. UQ-1 and UQ-2 possess two helical centers; however, single-crystal X-ray analysis together with the computational modeling of UQ-3 elucidate the formation of only the thermodynamically most stable geometry with four helical centers in a (P,P,M,M) configuration. For the series UQ-1-3, the number of redox steps is directly correlated with the number of ullazine or quinoxaline units incorporated into the targeted molecular backbones. A detailed investigation of the spectroscopic and magnetic properties of the radical cation and anion as well as the dication and dianion species by in situ EPR/UV/Vis-NIR spectroelectrochemistry is provided. The excellent optical and redox properties combined with helical geometries render them possibly applicable as chiral emitter or ambipolar charge transport material in organic electronics.

Chalcogen Bonding "2S-2N Squares" versus Competing Interactions: Exploring the Recognition Properties of Sulfur

Chalcogen bonding (CB) is the focus of increased attention for its applications in medicinal chemistry, materials science, and crystal engineering. However, the origin of sulfur's recognition properties remains controversial, and experimental evidence for supporting theories is still emerging. Here, a comprehensive evaluation of sulfur CB interactions is presented by investigating 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole X-ray crystallographic structures gathered from the Cambridge Structure Database (CSD), Protein Data Bank (PDB), and own laboratory findings. Through the systematic analysis of substituent effects on a subset library of over thirty benzothiadiazole derivatives, the competing interactions have been categorized into four main classes, namely 2S-2N CB square, halogen bonding (XB), S⋅⋅⋅S, and hydrogen-bonding (HB). A geometric model is employed to characterize the 2S-2N CB square motifs and discuss the role of electrostatic, dipole, and orbital contributions toward the interaction.

Synthesis and properties of tetracyanoquinodimethane derivatives

Two new aza-acenequinone derivatives 4 and 5 were prepared by cyclocondensation of diamines 2 and 3 with bis(triisopropylsilyl)-dialkynyl-l,2-dione 1. Further reactions of compounds 4 and 5 with malononitrile using the Lehnert reagent afforded corresponding tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) derivatives 6 and 7. Compounds 4, 6 and 7 were characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction techniques. Compounds 6 and 7 were studied electrochemically and photochemically. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations on compounds 6 and 7 indicate that both compounds have the potential to be candidates for organic semiconductor materials.

Titanocene-Mediated Dinitrile Coupling: A Divergent Route to Nitrogen-Containing Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

A general synthetic strategy for the construction of large, nitrogen-containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is reported. The strategy involves two key steps: (1) a titanocene-mediated reductive cyclization of an oligo(dinitrile) precursor to form a PAH appended with di(aza)titanacyclopentadiene functionality; (2) a divergent titanocene transfer reaction, which allows final-step installation of one or more o-quinone, diazole, or pyrazine units into the PAH framework. The new methodology enables rational, late-stage control of HOMO and LUMO energy levels and thus photophysical and electrochemical properties, as revealed by UV/vis and fluorescence spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and DFT calculations. More generally, this contribution presents the first productive use of di(aza)metallacyclopentadiene intermediates in organic synthesis, including the first formal [2 + 2 + 2] reaction to form a pyrazine ring.

Effects of chalcogen atom variation in chalcogenadiazole fused indolo[2,3-a]carbazoles

The chalcogen (O/S/Se)-induced intriguing variation of structural and optoelectronic properties in a series of chalcogenadiazole-fused indolo[2,3-a]carbazole donor–acceptor (D–A) molecules.

Reductive Aromatization/Dearomatization and Elimination Reactions to Access Conjugated Polycyclic Hydrocarbons, Heteroacenes, and Cumulenes

Acenes, heteroacenes, conjugated polycyclic hydrocarbons, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (collectively referred to in this review as conjugated polycyclic molecules, CPMs) have fascinated chemists since they were first isolated and synthesized in the mid 19th century. Most recently, these compounds have shown significant promise as the active components in organic devices (e.g., solar cells, thin-film transistors, light-emitting diodes, etc.), and, since 2001, a plethora of publications detail synthetic strategies to produce CPMs. In this review, we discuss reductive aromatization, reductive dearomatization, and elimination/extrusion reactions used to form CPMs. After a brief discussion on early methods to synthesize CPMs, we detail the use of reagents used for the reductive (de)aromatization of precursors containing 1,4-diols/diethers, including SnCl₂ and iodide (I^- ). Extension of these methods to carbomers and cumulenes is briefly discussed. We then describe low-valent metal species used to reduce endoxides to CPMs, and discuss the methods to directly reduce acenediones and acenones to the respective acene. In the final section, we describe methods used to affect aromatization to the desired CPM via extrusion of small, volatile molecules.

Non-classical S-Heteroacenes with o-Quinoidal Conjugation and Open-Shell Diradical Character

A series of non-classical S-heteroacenes were synthesized and exhibited intriguing physical properties and chemical reactivities that are very different from classical acenes. X-ray crystallographic analyses revealed that all acenothiophene derivatives Ph-AT-1-Ph-AT-3 had an o-quinoidal π-conjugation with large bond-length alternation, whereas the acenodithiophene derivative Ph-ADT-3 easily dimerized or reacted with oxygen to form a peroxy-bridged dimer. The long acenothiophene Ph-AT-4 was also highly reactive. The origin of these unique properties was investigated carefully by both experiments and theoretical calculations. The high reactivity of the long non-classical S-heteroacenes can be explained by their intrinsic open-shell diradical character as well as the o-quinoidal conjugation.

Effect of heteroatom (S/Se) juggling in donor–acceptor–donor (D–A–D) fused systems: synthesis and electrochemical polymerization

Planarization of donor–acceptor–donor (D–A–D) systems through N-bridges with systematic alteration of S/Se atom(s) resulted in interesting fluorosolvatochromic molecules and their electrochemical polymers.

Diazapentacene derivatives: synthesis, properties, and structures

Two soluble and stable diazapentacene derivatives were synthesized. DFT calculations and their chemical properties indicate that both compounds have potential application as ambipolar semiconductors.

The Larger Linear N-Heteroacenes

The close structural and chemical relationship of N-heteroacenes to pentacene suggests their broad applicability in organic electronic devices, such as thin-film transistors. The superb materials science properties of azaacenes result from their improved resistance toward oxidation and their potential for electron transport, both of which have been demonstrated recently. The introduction of nitrogen atoms into the aromatic perimeter of acenes stabilizes their frontier molecular orbitals and increases their electron affinity. The HOMO-LUMO gaps in azaacenes in which the nitrogen atoms are symmetrically placed are similar to those of the acenes. The judiciously placed nitrogen atoms induce an "umpolung" of the electronic behavior of these pentacene-like molecules, i.e., instead of hole mobility in thin-film transistors, azaacenes are electron-transporting materials. The fundamental synthetic approaches toward larger azaacenes are described and discussed. Several synthetic methodologies have been exploited, and some have been newly developed to assemble substituted azaacenes. The oldest methods are condensation-based. Aromatic o-diamines are coupled with o-dihydroxyarenes in the melt without solvent. This method works well for unsubstituted azaacenes only. The attachment of substituents to the starting materials renders these "fire and sword" methods less useful. The starting materials decompose under these conditions. The direct condensation of substituted o-diamines with o-quinones proceeds well in some cases. Fluorinated benzene rings next to a pyrazine unit are introduced by nucleophilic aromatic substitution employing hexafluorobenzene. However, with these well-established synthetic methodologies, a number of azaacene topologies cannot be synthesized. The Pd-catalyzed coupling of aromatic halides and aromatic diamines has therefore emerged as versatile tool for azaacene synthesis. Now substituted diaza- and tetraazaacenes, azapentacenes, azahexacenes, and azaheptacenes are accessible. Pd-catalysis-based coupling methods for both activated and nonactivated o-dihalides have been developed. The larger azaacene representatives were unknown before but are of conceptual and theoretical interest. Azaacenes, particularly the symmetrical bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl)-substituted tetraazapentacene, are primarily used in organic field-effect transistors, but smaller azaacenes shine in the field as organic light-emitting diode (OLED) emitters. Diazatetracenes and substituted benzoquinoxalines are successful, improving electron injection and increasing OLED brightness, as compared to that of pure tetracenes. On the basis of the acene framework, nitrogen atoms in the acene perimeter and aggregation-precluding molecular appendages create solid-state fluorescent species. Azaacenes are expanding the range and complementing the purview of acenes in organic electronic applications. They enlarge the profiles of acenes with respect to synthetic strategies, structures, properties, and applications.

Design, synthesis and electronic properties of push–pull–push type dye

Alkyne conjugated push–pull–push type dye where alkyne π-spacer and push units monitor the electronic properties of the dye.

Synthetic applications of hypophosphite derivatives in reduction

The purpose of this review is to collect the applications in fine synthesis of hypophosphite derivatives as reducing agents.