The arylvinylpyrimidine scaffold: a tunable platform for luminescent and optical materials

The incorporation of electron-withdrawing pyrimidine rings within π-extended systems allows access to a wide variety of fluorescent push-pull molecules that display emission properties highly sensitive to external stimuli. A suitable design of these compounds leads to interesting materials for a variety of optoelectronic applications. In this context, a vast number of arylvinylpyrimidine-based chromophores have been extensively studied during the last two decades. Along with the main synthetic pathways, this review summarizes the photophysical features of these active compounds having great potential and their most important applications as sensors and luminescence materials.

Novel Imidazole Liquid Crystals; Experimental and Computational Approaches

The liquid crystalline materials named (E)-4-(2-(4-oxo-5,5-diphenyl-4,5-dihydro-1H-imidazol-2-yl)hydrazineylidene)methyl)phenyl and 4-(alkoxy)benzoate, In, were synthesized and their mesomorphic behaviors were examined. The chemical structures of the produced compounds were confirmed by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), NMR, and elemental analysis. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and polarized optical microscopy were used to investigate the mesomorphic properties of designed heterocyclic derivatives. All the compounds tested had suitable thermal stability and enantiotropic behavior of smectogenic temperature ranges. Furthermore, the enantiotropic smectic C phases were observed to cover all the homologues. Moreover, computational investigations corroborated the experimental findings of the mesomorphic behavior. The reactivity parameters were computed for the derivatives and linked with the experimental data. Theoretical calculations revealed that the polarizability of the studied series increases with the chain length, whereas the HOMO–LUMO energy gap or other reactivity descriptors were less sensitive to the size of the system. On the other hand, the predicted thermodynamic parameters revealed the size dependence of thermal stability of the compounds.

A molecular probe based on pyrimidine imidazole derivatives for stable super-resolution endoplasmic reticulum imaging in living cells

Multi-functional florescent dyes capable of acting as molecular probes in living systems under two-photon microscopy, as well as super-resolution nanoscopy, are of great interest.

Chiral Side Groups Trigger Second Harmonic Generation Activity in 3D Octupolar Bipyrimidine-Based Organic Liquid Crystals

The design of efficient noncentrosymmetric materials remains the ultimate goal in the field of organic second-order nonlinear optics. Unlike inorganic crystals currently used in second-order nonlinear optical applications, organic materials are an attractive alternative owing to their fast electro-optical response and processability, but their alignment into noncentrosymmetric film remains challenging. Here, symmetry breaking by judicious functionalization of 3D organic octupoles allows the emergence of multifunctional liquid crystalline chromophores which can easily be processed into large, flexible, thin, and self-oriented films with second harmonic generation responses competitive to the prototypical inorganic KH₂ PO₄ crystals. The liquid-crystalline nature of these chiral organic films also permits the modulation of the nonlinear optical properties owing to the sensitivity of the supramolecular organization to temperature, leading to the development of tunable macroscopic materials.

Small water-soluble pyrimidine hexafluorophosphate derivatives with high two-photon absorption activities in the near-IR region and their biological applications

Two imidazole–pyrimidine hexafluorophosphate derivatives (6P and 10P) are synthesized. The 2PA cross-section values (σ) were obtained by Z-scan and two-photon excited fluorescence methods. 6P and 10P can be used to quantify and image organelles in living cells and tissues.

Alphabet-Inspired Design of (Hetero)Aromatic Push-Pull Chromophores

Push-pull molecules represent a unique and fascinating class of organic π-conjugated materials. Herein, we provide a summary of their recent extraordinary design inspired by letters of the alphabet, especially focusing on H-, L-, T-, V-, X-, and Y-shaped molecules. Representative structures from each class were presented and their fundamental properties and prospective applications were discussed. In particular, emphasis is given to molecules recently prepared in our laboratory with T-, X-, and Y-shaped arrangements based on indan-1,3-dione, benzene, pyridine, pyrazine, imidazole, and triphenylamine. These push-pull molecules turned out to be very efficient charge-transfer chromophores with tunable properties suitable for second-order nonlinear optics, two-photon absorption, reversible pH-induced and photochromic switching, photocatalysis, and intercalation.

Design, synthesis, linear and nonlinear photophysical properties of novel pyrimidine-based imidazole derivatives

Novel pyrimidine imidazole derivatives with flexible ether chains have been synthesised and evaluated for their cell imaging performanceviaphotophysical investigations and theoretical calculations.

Monomeric Ti(iv)-based complexes incorporating luminescent nitrogen ligands: synthesis, structural characterization, emission spectroscopy and cytotoxic activities

Novel photoluminescent 2,2′-bipyrimidine ligands and their titanium(iv) complexes are cytotoxic.

A Series of Imidazole Derivatives: Synthesis, Two-Photon Absorption, and Application for Bioimaging

A new series of D-π-A type imidazole derivatives have been synthesized and characterized. Two corresponding imidazolium salts (iodine and hexafluorophosphate) were prepared from the imidazole compound. Their electron-withdrawing ability can be largely tunable by salt formation reaction or ion exchange. UV-vis absorption and single-photon fluorescence spectra have been systematically investigated in different solvents. The two-photon cross sections (δ 2PA) of the imidazole derivatives are measured by two-photon excited fluorescence (2PEF) method. Compared with those of T-1 (107 GM) and T-3 (96 GM), T-2 (imidazolium iodine salt) has a large two-photon absorption (2PA) cross section value of 276 GM. Furthermore, the cytotoxicity and applications in bioimaging for the imidazole derivatives were carried out. The results showed that T-1 can be used as a lysosomal tracker with high stability and water solubility within pHs of 4-6, while T-2 and T-3 can be used as probes for cell cytoplasm.

Theoretical evidence of metal-induced structural distortions in a series of bipyrimidine-based ligands

Herein, we report theoretical evidence of the geometric changes occurring upon complexation, for a series of octupolar bipyrimidine-based ligands incorporating the NPh2 terminal donor group. It is shown that ligands 1 and 2 (4,4',6,6'-tetrakis(N,N-diphenylaminostyryl)-[2,2']bipyrimidine and 4,4',6,6'-tetrakis((N,N-diphenyl)-9,9'-dioctyl-9H-fluorene-2-amine)-2,2'-bipyrimidine) exhibit a non-planar geometry with a torsion angle between both pyrimidine moieties of ∼25° and 50° respectively. 1a (complex of 1) becomes planar upon addition of ZnCl2 to the bipyrimidine moiety whereas 2a remains distorted. Furthermore, an assignment of the absorption bands for all compounds is presented.

Fluorosolvatochromism of furanyl- and thiophenyl-substituted acetophenones

Fluorosolvatochromism of four furanyl- or thiophenyl-substituted acetophenone derivatives is suitable to measure environmental effects.

Donor–linker–acceptor (D–π–A) diazine chromophores with extended π-conjugated cores: synthesis, photophysical and second order nonlinear optical properties

The synthesis, photophysical properties and second order non-linear optical response of a series of push–pull pyrimidine and quinoxaline chromophores with extended π-conjugated cores are reported.

Synthesis and photophysical investigation of a series of push-pull arylvinyldiazine chromophores

A new series of push-pull arylvinyldiazines has been efficiently prepared by aldol condensation between the appropriate methyldiazine and aromatic aldehyde. The optical absorption and emission properties of these chromophores were studied in different solvents and media. These compounds act as polarity sensors with a strong positive emission solvatochromism. This behavior suggests a highly polar emitting state, which is characteristic of compounds that undergo an internal charge transfer upon excitation. These molecules also exhibit halochromic properties and are potential colorimetric and luminescence pH sensors. The second-order nonlinear properties have been investigated for some of the compounds, and large and positive μβ are obtained, in particular, for pyrimidine derivatives.

Donor-(π-bridge)-azinium as D-π-A+ one-dimensional and D-π-A(+)-π-D multidimensional V-shaped chromophores

Heteroaromatic cations reacted with N-heteroarylacetylenes under Sonogashira conditions to allow easy access to potential single donor D-π-A(+) and V-shaped D-π-A(+)-π-D chromophores, where the acceptor moiety A is the π-deficient pyridinium cation and the donor moiety is represented by different π-excessive N-heterocycles. The β hyperpolarizabilities were measured using hyper-Rayleigh scattering experiments and the experimental data are supported by a theoretical analysis that combines a variety of computational procedures, including Density Functional Theory (DFT) and correlated Hartree-Fock-based methods (RCIS(D)).

4-Arylvinyl-2,6-di(pyridin-2-yl)pyrimidines: synthesis and optical properties

A series of 4-arylvinyl-2,6-di(pyridin-2-yl)pyrimidines have been efficiently prepared by a double cross-coupling reaction between 2,4-dichloro-6-methylpyrimidine and 2-(tributylstannyl)pyridine, followed by aldol condensation with the appropriate aromatic aldehyde substituted with electron-donating, electron-withdrawing, dendritic, or water-soluble groups. The effect of different protic and aprotic solvents on the optical absorption and emission properties of these systems was studied. Compounds with electron-donating groups display strong emission solvatochromism, suggesting the formation of an intramolecular charge-separated emitting state. The solvatochromic behavior depends not only on the solvent polarity but also on the hydrogen bonding parameters of the solvent. The effect of protonation was also studied, and the abilities of some of these molecules to function as colorimetric and luminescent pH sensors were demonstrated with dramatic color changes and luminescence switching upon the introduction of acid.

Syntheses and properties of two-dimensional, dicationic nonlinear optical chromophores based on pyrazinyl cores

Six new dicationic 2D nonlinear optical (NLO) chromophores with pyrazinyl-pyridinium electron acceptors have been synthesized by nucleophilic substitutions of 2,6-dichloropyrazine with pyridyl derivatives. These compounds have been characterized as their PF(6)(-) salts by using various techniques including electronic absorption spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. Large red shifts in the intense, π → π* intramolecular charge-transfer (ICT) transitions on replacing -OMe with -NMe(2) substituents arise from the stronger π-electron donor ability of the latter. Each compound shows a number of redox processes which are largely irreversible. Single crystal X-ray structures have been determined for five salts, including two nitrates, all of which adopt centrosymmetric packing arrangements. Molecular first hyperpolarizabilities β have been determined by using femtosecond hyper-Rayleigh scattering at 880 and 800 nm, and depolarization studies show that the NLO responses of the symmetric species are strongly 2D, with dominant "off-diagonal" β(zyy) components. Stark (electroabsorption) spectroscopic measurements on the ICT bands afford estimated static first hyperpolarizabilities β(0). The directly and indirectly derived β values are large, and the Stark-derived β(0) response for one of the new salts is several times greater than that determined for (E)-4'-(dimethylamino)-N-methyl-4-stilbazolium hexafluorophosphate. These Stark spectroscopic studies also permit quantitative comparisons with related 2D, binuclear Ru(II) ammine complex salts.