The luminescent and photophysical properties of covalent organic frameworks.

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are an emerging class of crystalline porous polymers that have attracted significant attention due to their tunable properties and structural robustness. As a result, COFs with luminescent properties are of great interest for fields such as chemical sensing, solid-state light emitters, photocatalysis, and optoelectronics. However, the bottom-up synthesis of luminescent COF systems remains a challenge in the field due to an abundance of competing non-radiative pathways, including phenomena such as aggregate caused quenching (ACQ). To overcome these obstacles, there has been a burgeoning investigation into the luminescent and photophysical properties of COFs. This review will highlight methods used to fabricate luminescent COFs and discuss the factors that are critical for their production. A collection of known luminescent COF systems will be featured. In addition, the ability to utilize the photophysical properties of COFs for applications related to photocatalysis, solid-state light emitters, and chemical sensing will be addressed. An outlook will address the current progress and remaining challenges facing the field to ultimately expand the scope of their applications.

A Nickel-Doped Dehydrobenzoannulene-Based Two-Dimensional Covalent Organic Framework for the Reductive Cleavage of Inert Aryl C-S Bonds.

The development of metalated covalent organic frameworks (COFs) is useful for generating recyclable catalytic systems for practical applications. Herein, we report the synthesis, characterization, and catalytic properties of an azine-linked two-dimensional (2D) COF containing nickel-doped dehydrobenzoannulene (DBA) units. We demonstrate that Ni-DBA-2D-COF can be used to reductively cleave the aryl C-S bonds of several organosulfur compounds utilizing dimethylethylsilane as the reducing agent. The Ni-DBA-2D-COF catalytic system displays excellent recyclability and good yields. This work highlights a rare example of utilizing metalated DBA complexes to perform catalytic transformations.

Excited-State Intramolecular Proton-Transfer Properties of Three Tris(N-Salicylideneaniline)-Based Chromophores with Extended Conjugation.

The synthesis and photophysical properties of three tris(N-salicylideneaniline) (TSA) compounds containing 1,3,5-triarylbenzene, -tristyrylbenzene, and -tris(arylethynyl)benzene core units are reported. The TSA compounds underwent efficient excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) in solution and in solid state due to the preformed C=N⋅⋅⋅H-O hydrogen-bonded motifs of the structures. Steady-state fluorescence emission spectra of the TSA molecules revealed dual bands only in DMSO, and large Stokes shifts in other polar aprotic and protic solvents. Femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopic measurements in THF revealed lifetime values in the range of 14-16 ps for the excited-state keto-tautomer. The TSA compounds are also responsive to metal ions (Cu2+ and Zn2+ ) in DMSO, exhibit enhanced aggregate-induced emission (AIE) properties in DMSO/water mixtures, and are highly luminescent in the solid state.

Luminescent Covalent Organic Frameworks Containing a Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Distribution of Dehydrobenzoannulene Vertex Units.

Finding new ways to construct crystalline multiple-component covalent organic frameworks (COFs) has become an important focus. Herein we report the synthesis of three novel COFs containing a homogeneous and heterogeneous distribution of π-conjugated dehydrobenzoannulene (DBA) vertex units. The COFs were synthesized by reacting different ratios of C3-symmetric DBA catechol monomers with C2-symmetric pyrene-2,7-diboronic acid (PDBA) to yield three COFs, Py-DBA-COF 1, Py-DBA-COF 2, and Py-MV-DBA-COF. All three materials are highly crystalline and display unique luminescent properties in the solid state.

Metalation of a Mesoporous Three-Dimensional Covalent Organic Framework.

Constructing metalated three-dimensional (3D) covalent organic frameworks is a challenging synthetic task. Herein, we report the synthesis and characterization of a highly porous (SABET = 5083 m2 g-1) 3D COF with a record low density (0.13 g cm-3) containing π-electron conjugated dehydrobenzoannulene (DBA) units. Metalation of DBA-3D-COF 1 with Ni to produce Ni-DBA-3D-COF results in a minimal reduction in the surface area (SABET = 4763 m2 g-1) of the material due to the incorporation of the metal within the cavity of the DBA units, and retention of crystallinity. Both 3D DBA-COFs also display great uptake capacities for ethane and ethylene gas.

A water-soluble pH-triggered molecular switch.

A bistable donor-acceptor [2]catenane, which is composed of a crown ether containing a hydroquinone unit and a 1,5-diaminonaphthalene unit, interlocked mechanically by cyclobis(paraquat-p-phenylene) as its tetrachloride, exists as a mixture of translational isomers, both in the solid state and in aqueous solution. UV/vis and (1)H NMR spectroscopies demonstrate that this isomeric mixture can be switched in water in the presence of hydrochloric acid to afford a single diprotonated derivative in which only the hydroquinone unit resides inside the cavity of the tetracationic cyclophane. Treatment with 1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane resets the molecular switch.

ExBox: a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon scavenger.

A template-directed protocol, which capitalizes on donor-acceptor interactions, is employed to synthesize a semi-rigid cyclophane (ExBox(4+)) that adopts a box-like geometry and is comprised of π-electron-poor 1,4-phenylene-bridged ("extended") bipyridinium units (ExBIPY(2+)). ExBox(4+) functions as a high-affinity scavenger of an array of different polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), ranging from two to seven fused rings, as a result of its large, accommodating cavity (approximately 3.5 Å in width and 11.2 Å in length when considering the van der Waals radii) and its ability to form strong non-covalent bonding interactions with π-electron-rich PAHs in either organic or aqueous media. In all, 11 PAH guests were observed to form inclusion complexes with ExBox(4+), with coronene being the largest included guest. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction data for the 11 inclusion complexes ExBox(4+)⊂PAH as well as UV/vis spectroscopic data for 10 of the complexes provide evidence of the promiscuity of ExBox(4+) for the various PAHs. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and isothermal titration calorimetric analyses of 10 of the inclusion complexes are employed to further characterize the host-guest interactions in solution and determine the degree with which ExBox(4+) binds each PAH compound. As a proof-of-concept, a batch of crude oil from Saudi Arabia was subjected to extraction with the water-soluble form of the PAH receptor, ExBox·4Cl, resulting in the isolation of different aromatic compounds after ExBox·4Cl was regenerated.

Synthesis, structure, and metalation of two new highly porous zirconium metal-organic frameworks.

Three new metal-organic frameworks [MOF-525, Zr(6)O(4)(OH)(4)(TCPP-H(2))(3); MOF-535, Zr(6)O(4)(OH)(4)(XF)(3); MOF-545, Zr(6)O(8)(H(2)O)(8)(TCPP-H(2))(2), where porphyrin H(4)-TCPP-H(2) = (C(48)H(24)O(8)N(4)) and cruciform H(4)-XF = (C(42)O(8)H(22))] based on two new topologies, ftw and csq, have been synthesized and structurally characterized. MOF-525 and -535 are composed of Zr(6)O(4)(OH)(4) cuboctahedral units linked by either porphyrin (MOF-525) or cruciform (MOF-535). Another zirconium-containing unit, Zr(6)O(8)(H(2)O)(8), is linked by porphyrin to give the MOF-545 structure. The structure of MOF-525 was obtained by analysis of powder X-ray diffraction data. The structures of MOF-535 and -545 were resolved from synchrotron single-crystal data. MOF-525, -535, and -545 have Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface areas of 2620, 1120, and 2260 m(2)/g, respectively. In addition to their large surface areas, both porphyrin-containing MOFs are exceptionally chemically stable, maintaining their structures under aqueous and organic conditions. MOF-525 and -545 were metalated with iron(III) and copper(II) to yield the metalated analogues without losing their high surface area and chemical stability.

Cross-conjugated cruciform fluorophores.

In optoelectronic devices, chromophores can be designed at the molecular level to create materials with properties desired for advanced applications. Organic fluorophores in particular can be constructed with macroscopic properties that arise from two distinct contributions: (i) the collective impact of the molecular backbone and substituents and (ii) the connectivity within the molecule (that is, the spatial molecular architecture). Accordingly, the exploration of novel conjugated architectures is a productive area of current research. Different two-dimensional, "X-shaped" conjugated materials have been synthesized for a variety of applications. They include spiro compounds, paracyclophanes, swivel-type dimers, bisoxazole-derived cruciforms, tetraethynylethenes, and tetrasubstituted tolanes. A subset of these compounds are constructed from two "perpendicular" pi-conjugated linear arms connected through a central aromatic core; examples of these include tetrakis(arylethynyl)benzenes, tetrakis(styryl)benzenes, and tetrasubstituted thiophenes. In this Account, we evaluate 1,4-distyryl-2,5-bis(arylethynyl)benzenes or cruciforms (XFs). Electronic substitution of this "X-shaped" cross-conjugated scaffold tunes both the energy levels of the frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs) and their spatial distribution in XFs. The resulting fluorophores exhibit FMO separation, imbuing XFs with unusual yet desirable properties for sensory applications. Using model analytes, we examine how the underlying FMO arrangement and the nature of analyte interaction elicit observable responses. These studies provide a foundation for accessing functional responsive ratiometric cores, demonstrating the importance and unique potential of FMO-separated fluorophores. We also highlight the essential contribution of serendipity in materials development. Moving beyond one-dimensional molecular wire-type fluorophores to two-dimensional "X-shaped" materials provides access to materials with unexpected and exciting properties. XFs represent such novel conjugated architectures, and their successful development has frequently has hinged on inspiration from structural components and principles developed in diverse research areas.

Hydroxydialkylamino cruciforms: amphoteric materials with unique photophysical properties.

Two amphoteric cruciforms 6 and 7 (XF; 4,4'-[(1E,1'E)-(2,5-bis{[4-(dibutylamino)phenyl]ethynyl}-1,4-phenylene)bis(ethene-2,1-diyl)]diphenol, 4,4'-[{2,5-bis[(E)-4-(dibutylamino)styryl]-1,4-phenylene}bis(ethyne-2,1-diyl)]diphenol) were prepared by a Horner reaction followed by a Sonogashira coupling and subsequent deprotection. The XFs display significant changes in absorption and emission when exposed to trifluoroacetic acid, tetrabutylammonium hydroxide, and metal triflates. The substitution pattern of 6 and 7 leads to spatial separation of the frontier molecular orbitals, which allows the HOMO or LUMO of the XF to be addressed independently by acidic or basic agents. XF 6, which has hydroxyl groups on the styryl axis, displays changes in emission color upon exposure to ten amines in eight different solvents. The change in fluorescence upon the addition of amines was analyzed by linear discriminant analysis. These XFs may have potential in sensor applications for metal cations and amines.

Alkynyl-Based Covalent Organic Frameworks as High-Performance Anode Materials for Potassium-Ion Batteries.

The development of high-performance organic electrodes for potassium-ion batteries (KIBs) is attracting interest due to their sustainability and low costs. However, the electrolyte systems and moieties that generally proved to be successful in high-performance Li-ion batteries have found relatively little success in KIBs. Herein, two alkynyl-based covalent organic frameworks (COFs) containing 1,3,5-tris(arylethynyl)benzene (TAEB) and dehydrobenzoannulene (DBA) units are utilized as bulk anode materials for KIBs in a localized high-concentration electrolyte. TAEB-COF provides a high capacity value of 254.0 mAh g-1 at ∼100% efficiency after 300 cycles, and DBA-COF 3 provides a capacity of 76.3 mAh g-1 with 98.7% efficiency after 300 cycles. DFT calculations suggest that the alkynyl units of TAEB-COF facilitate the binding of K-ions through both enthalpic and geometric driving forces, leading to high reversible capacities.

Acidochromicity of bisarylethynylbenzenes: hydroxy versus dialkylamino substituents.

This contribution investigates the electronic difference of dibutylamino/dibutylammonium and phenol/phenolate groups in four simple distyrylbenzenes and bisarylethynylbenzenes. The compounds and their protonated and deprotonated species, respectively, were investigated by UV-vis and emission spectroscopies. While the anilinium and phenol compounds displayed similar spectroscopic properties, this was less so the case for the comparison of the dialkylanilines with the corresponding phenolates. In this case, the hydrogen bonding ability of the phenolates distorted the results as the hydrogen donating/accepting properties of the investigated solvents have a disproportional influence on the electronic properties of the phenolates when compared to the dialkylamines. If one uses acetonitrile as solvent, these effects disappear, as acetonitrile is neither a good hydrogen bond acceptor nor a hydrogen bond donor. The results are in line with the para-Hammet constant for OH (sigma = -0.37) being significantly smaller than that for NMe(2) substituents (sigma = -0.83) and reinforces the notion that the lone pairs in these phenols are not readily available for interaction with the pi-system, as they are perhaps energetically too low lying. However, in the case of the phenolates, the lone pairs do interact significantly.

A ruthenium porphyrin-based porous organic polymer for the hydrosilylative reduction of CO2 to formate.

A ruthenium porphyrin-based porous organic polymer (POP) was synthesized, characterized, and used to reduce CO2 to a formate salt. We demonstrate that Ru-BBT-POP can be utilized to reduce CO2 to a silyl formate and then converted to potassium formate with a respectable turnover number and frequency.

Anomalous photophysics of bis(hydroxystyryl)benzenes: a twist on the para/meta dichotomy.

The dianions of two isomeric bis(hydroxystyryl)benzenes show dramatically different photophysical properties.

Mechanistic investigations into the cyclization and crystallization of benzobisoxazole-linked two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks.

Although many diverse covalent organic frameworks (COFs) have been synthesised over the past decade, our fundamental understanding of their nucleation and growth during the crystallization process has progressed slowly for many systems. In this work, we report the first in-depth mechanistic investigation detailing the role of nucleophilic catalysts during the formation of two distinct benzobisoxazole (BBO)-linked COFs. The BBO-COFs were constructed by reacting 1,3,5-tris(4-formylphenyl)benzene (TFPB) and 1,3,5-tris(4-formylphenyl)triazine (TFPT) C 3-symmetric monomers with a C 2-symmetric o-aminophenol substituted precursor using different nucleophiles (e.g. NaCN, NaN3, and NaSCH3). Our experimental and computational results demonstrate that the nucleophiles help initiate an oxidative dehydrogenation pathway by producing radical intermediates that are stabilized by a captodative effect. We also demonstrate that the electron deficient TFPT monomer not only aids in enhancing the crystallinity of the BBO-COFs but also participates in the delocalization of the radicals generated to help stabilize the intermediates.

Hydroxy-cruciforms.

The synthesis of hydroxy-cruciforms 7 and 8 and their dramatically varying photophysical properties upon exposure to amines are reported.

Synthesis of Benzobisoxazole-Linked Two-Dimensional Covalent Organic Frameworks and Their Carbon Dioxide Capture Properties.

Developing novel synthetic strategies to construct crystalline polymeric materials with excellent chemical stability and high carbon capture capacity has become a challenging process. Herein, we report the synthesis of two novel 2D benzobisoxazole-linked covalent organic frameworks (BBO-COFs) utilizing C3-symmetric formyl- and C2-symmetric o-aminophenol-substituted molecular building blocks. The BBO-COFs exhibit excellent water stability, high surface areas, and great CO2 uptake capacities. This general synthetic method affords the opportunity to prepare ordered BBO-based polymeric materials for carbon capture, chemical sensing, and organic electronic applications.

A neutral naphthalene diimide [2]rotaxane.

A neutral donor-acceptor [2]rotaxane, which has been synthesized using click chemistry, has had its solid-state structure and superstructure elucidated by X-ray crystallography. Both dynamic (1)H NMR spectroscopy and electrochemical investigations have been employed in an attempt to shed light on both geometrical reorganization and redox-switching processes that are occurring or can be induced within the [2]rotaxane.

Cruciform-silica hybrid materials.

Silica scaffolding: By employing functionalized mesoporous SBA-15 silica, novel fluorescent cruciform-silica hybrid materials are generated which preserve the desirable solution properties of cruciforms in the solid state for potential use in sensory schemes. Preserving the solution properties of functional fluorophores upon incorporation into solid state sensory schemes remains a significant challenge. To address this concern, a silica scaffold was employed to support functional fluorophores in the solid state. Herein, we report an effort to support 1,4-distyryl-2,5-bisarylethynylbenzene cruciforms (XFs) using functionalized mesoporous silica particles. By employing surface-functionalized mesoporous SBA-15 silica, novel fluorescent cruciform-silica hybrid materials are generated which retain the desirable solution properties of cruciforms in the solid state. Organic surface functionalities, such as acidic, basic, and hydrophobic groups employed on the silica scaffold, modulate the observed emissions of the resulting solid state materials. The potential of these XF-silica hybrid materials to display sensory responses to representative vapor-phase analytes is demonstrated.

Hydroxycruciforms: amine-responsive fluorophores.

The synthesis of three hydroxy-substituted cruciforms (XF, 1,4-bis(4'-hydroxystyryl)-2,5-bis(4''-methoxyphenylethynyl)benzene, 1,4-bis(4'-methoxystyryl)-2,5-bis(4''-hydroxyphenylethynyl)benzene, and 1,4-bis(4'-hydroxystyryl)-2,5-bis(4''-hydroxyphenylethynyl)benzene) starts with a Horner reaction followed by a Sonogashira coupling and subsequent deprotection. The three herein described XFs contain either two or four free phenolic hydroxyl groups. All three XFs were subjected to photometric UV/Vis titrations in a methanol/water mixture. The respective pK(a) values were obtained by data deconvolution. As the three XFs display a significant change in emission color upon photoinduced deprotonation, the XFs were taken up in different solvents and exposed to twelve amines. The amine-dependent change in emissivity of the tetrahydroxy XF is sufficiently distinct in the eight solvents that all of the inspected amines are discerned by a linear discriminant analysis. The tetrahydroxy XF in different solvents forms a sensor array, the response of which is based on the excited-state proton transfer (ESPT) to amines and mediated by the choice of the battery of solvents that are utilized.