Two-step access to bis-meso-perfluoroalkyl-corroles towards meso-perfluoroacyl-ABC-corroles.

A solventless and acid-catalyzed condensation of meso-perfluoroalkyl-dipyrromethanes with selected benzaldehydes was used to prepare ten different bilanes that were isolated before their oxidation into trans-A2B-corroles bearing two meso-perfluoroalkyl groups. Macrocycles bearing long chains (C3F7 or C7F15) are key precursors to afford ABC-corroles having a meso-acyl substituent when subjected to a mild and basic hydrolysis affecting one of the alkyl substituents.

Deciphering Electronic and Structural Effects in Copper Corrole/Graphene Hybrids.

Non-covalent hybrid materials based on graphene and A3 -type copper corrole complexes were computationally investigated. The corroles complexes contain strong electron-withdrawing fluorinated substituents at the meso positions. Our results show that the non-innocent character of corrole moiety modulates the structural, electronic, and magnetic properties once the hybrid systems are held. The graphene-corrole hybrids displayed outstanding stability via the interplay of dispersion and electrostatic driving forces, while graphene act as an electron reservoir. The hybrid structures exposed an intriguing magneto-chemical performance, compared to the isolated counterparts, that evidenced how structural and electronic effects contributed to the magnetic response for both ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic cases. Directional spin polarization and spin transfer from the corrole to the graphene surface participate in the amplification. Finally, there are relations between the spin transfer, the magnetic response, and the copper distorted ligand field, offering exciting hints about modulating the magnetic response. Therefore, this work shows that copper corroles emerged as versatile building blocks for graphene hybrid materials, especially in applications requiring a magnetic response.

A pH- and Metal-Actuated Molecular Shuttle in Water.

The structure of the Viologen-Phenylene-Imidazole (VPI) guest, previously shown to be bound by cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) with binding modes depending on pH and silver ions, has been extended by adding hydrophobic groups on the two extremities of VPI before investigations of CB[7] binding by NMR, ITC, X-ray diffraction, UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopies. With an imidazole station extended by a naphthalene group (VPI-N), binding modes of CB[7] are similar to those previously observed. However, with the viologen extended by a tolyl group (T-VPI), CB[7] preferentially sits on station T, shuttling between the T and P stations at acid pH or after Ag+ addition. The CB[7] ⋅ T-VPI complex thus behaves as a metal-actuated thermodynamic stop-and-go molecular shuttle featured by fast and autonomous ring translocation between two stations and a continuum for fractional station occupancy solely and easily controlled by Ag+ concentration.

Controlled oligomeric guest stacking by cucurbiturils in water.

Previously, we reported a guest molecule containing a viologen (V), a phenylene (P) and an imidazole (I) fragment (VPI) forming a host : guest 2 : 2 complex with cucurbit[8]uril (CB[8]) and an unprecedented 2 : 3 complex with cucurbit[10]uril (CB[10]). To better address the structural features required to form these complexes, two VPI analogues were designed and synthesized: the first with a tolyl (T) group grafted on the V part (T-VPI) and the second with a naphthalene (N) fused on the imidazole (I) part (VPI-N). While VPI-N afforded a discrete well-defined 2 : 2 complex with CB[8] and a 2 : 3 complex with CB[10], T-VPI organized also as a 2 : 2 complex with CB[8] but no well-defined complex was obtained with CB[10]. These complexes were studied by NMR spectroscopy, notably DOSY, which allowed us to estimate binding constants for 2 : 2 complex formation with CB[8], pointing to more stable 2 : 2 complexes with more hydrophobic guests. UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopy confirmed complex formation, suggesting host-stabilized charge-transfer interactions. Therefore, the simple addition of CB[8] or CB[10] enabled us to control the level of guest stacking (dimer or trimer) using relevant pairs of synthetic hosts through spontaneous host : guest quaternary or quinary self-assembly.

Tris-benzo[cd]indole Cyanine Enables the NIR-photosensitized Radical and Thiol-ene Polymerizations at 940†nm.

A near-infrared-absorbing heptamethine (HM+ ) incorporating three bulky benzo[cd]indole heterocycles was designed to efficiently prevent self-aggregation of the dye, which results in a strong enhancement of its photoinitiating reactivity as compared to a parent bis-benzo[cd]indole heptamethine (HMCl+ ) used as a reference system. In this context, we highlight an efficient free-radical NIR-polymerization up to a 100 % acrylates C=C bonds conversion even under air conditions. Such an important initiating performance was obtained by incorporating our NIR-sensitizer into a three-component system leading to its self-regeneration. This original photoredox cycle was thoroughly investigated through the identification of each intermediary species using EPR spectroscopy.

Near-infrared dyes for two-photon absorption in the short-wavelength infrared: strategies towards optical power limiting.

This work provides an overview of the recent advances in the field of two-photon absorbing chromophores active in the short-wavelength infrared (SWIR) spectral range. Herein the common strategies and main structure-property relationships that lead to near-infrared (NIR) electronic absorption of chromophores are described. A complete review of the molecules that feature two-photon absorption (2PA) beyond 1100 nm is presented for the purpose of further use in optical power limiting applications in the SWIR band. Recent progress in the development of optical power limiting in this particular spectral region is reported with emphasis on the use of the two-photon induced excited state absorption (ESA) process as an optical power limiting enhancer.

Reversible pH-Controlled Catenation of a Benzobisimidazole-Based Tetranuclear Rectangle.

The development of methodologies to control on demand and reversibly supramolecular transformations from self-assembled metalla-structures requires the rational design of architectures able to answer to an applied stimulus. While solvent or concentration changes, light exposure or addition of a chemical have been largely explored to provide these transformations, the case of pH sensitive materials is less described. Herein, we report the first example of a pH-triggered dissociation of a coordination-driven self-assembled interlocked molecular link. It incorporates a pH sensitive benzobisimidazole-based ligand that can be selectively protonated on its bisimidazole moieties. This generates intermolecular electrostatic repulsions that reduces drastically the stability of the interlocked structure, leading to its dissociation without any sign of protonation of the pyridine moieties involved in the coordination bonds. Importantly, the dissociation process is reversible through addition of a base.

1D Coordination π-d Conjugated Polymers with Distinct Structures Defined by the Choice of the Transition Metal: Towards a New Class of Antiaromatic Macrocycles.

Recently π-d conjugated coordination polymers have received a lot of attention owing to their unique material properties, although synthesis of long and defect-free polymers remains challenging. Herein we introduce a novel on-surface synthesis of coordination polymers with quinoidal ligands under ultra-high vacuum conditions, which enables formation of flexible coordination polymers with lengths up to hundreds of nanometers. Moreover, this procedure allows the incorporation of different transition-metal atoms with four- or two-fold coordination. Remarkably, the two-fold coordination mode revealed the formation of wires constituted by (electronically) independent 12-membered antiaromatic macrocycles linked together through two C-C single bonds.

Impact of Ion-Pairing Effects on Linear and Nonlinear Photophysical Properties of Polymethine Dyes*.

The two-photon absorption (2PA) and photophysics of heptamethine dyes featuring cyanine or dipolar electronic structures have been compared for the first time. The perfectly delocalized cyanine system is classically characterized by a two-photon transition matching the vibronic component of its lower energy absorption band. The dipolar species is generated by ion-pairing with a hard counterion in a non-dissociating solvent and displays significant modifications oft he optical properties, including a significant hypochromic shift of absorption, weaker emission and 2PA matching the lower energy transition, thus revealing symmetry breaking within the polymethine electronic structure.

Synthesis, Resolution, Configurational Stability, and Properties of Cationic Functionalized [5]Helicenes.

A straightforward approach to the synthesis of two different series of cationic [5]helicenes has been achieved including, in dioxa series, the possibility to introduce aromatic functional groups at the periphery of the helical structure. While photophysical study highlights that the introduction of aryl substituents at position 23 of the helical moieties has a negligible impact on the optical properties, styryl substituents allow a welcoming extension of the conjugation pathways. Finally, a red shift of the optical properties was evidenced upon introduction of nitrogen atoms in the helicene scaffold, leading to particularly good fluorescence efficiencies in the red domain for a helicenic dye. Detailed information on racemization kinetics was collected for the most stable species upon direct high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) resolution or, when configurational lability was too high, through VT-HPLC analysis on the chiral stationary phase (ΔG‡ values ranging from 85.0 to 137.1 kJ·mol-1 and above).

Synthesis of the New Cyanine-Labeled Bacterial Lipooligosaccharides for Intracellular Imaging and in Vitro Microscopy Studies.

Endotoxin (lipooligosaccharide, LOS, and lipopolysaccharide, LPS) is the major molecular component of Gram-negative bacteria outer membrane, and very potent pro-inflammatory substance. Visualizing and tracking the distribution of the circulating endotoxin is one of the fundamental approaches to understand the molecular aspects of infection with subsequent inflammatory and immune responses, LPS also being a key player in the molecular dialogue between microbiota and host. While fluorescently labeled LPS has previously been used to track its subcellular localization and colocalization with TLR4 receptor and downstream effectors, our knowledge on lipopolysaccharide (LOS) localization and cellular activity remains almost unexplored. In this study, LOS was labeled with a novel fluorophore, Cy7N, featuring a large Stokes-shifted emission in the deep-red spectrum resulting in lower light scattering and better imaging contrast. The LOS-Cy7N chemical identity was determined by mass spectrometry, and immunoreactivity of the conjugate was evaluated. Interestingly, its application to microscopic imaging showed a faster cell internalization compared to LPS-Alexa488, despite that it is also CD14-dependent and undergoes the same endocytic pathway as LPS toward lysosomal detoxification. Our results suggest the use of the new infrared fluorophore Cy7N for cell imaging of labeled LOS by confocal fluorescence microscopy, and propose that LOS is imported in the cells by mechanisms different from those responsible for LPS uptake.

Azacalixquinarenes: From Canonical to (Poly-)Zwitterionic Macrocycles.

Azacalixquinarenes, a new family of macrocycles composed of diaminobenzoquinone diimine units linked by dinitrobenzene rings, are synthesized by selective oxidation of the parent azacalixarenes. Crystallographic analyses of two compounds demonstrated the presence of canonical (uncharged) and zwitterionic quinones within a single structure. The electron-withdrawing nature of the dinitrobenzene moieties can trigger the intramolecular H-transfer that generates zwitterionic ground-state quinones. The nature of the N-substituents and the polarity of the solvent have a crucial impact on the equilibrium between the canonical and zwitterionic forms that present distinct optical and electrochemical properties. Thus, within [4]- and [6]-membered macrocycles, poly-zwitterionic structures can be reached, as demonstrated experimentally and theoretically using first-principle approaches.

First principles investigation of the spectral properties of neutral, zwitterionic, and bis-cationic azaacenes.

An in-depth investigation of the optical properties of recently-synthesized linear azaacene derivatives of various electronic nature (neutral, dicationic, and zwitterionic) is presented. Our simulations include not only the determination of the vertical transitions, but also of the adiabatic energies and vibrationally-resolved spectra using the adiabatic Hessian approach in connection with the Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory (TD-DFT) and second-order Coupled-Cluster (CC2) methods. We show that the theoretical results are in excellent agreement with experiment for both the λmax and the band topologies, a statement holding in the full visible domain. We also analyse the nature of the key vibrations explaining the specific band shapes of these compounds. In addition, we investigate a series of yet-unknown substituted systems in an effort to design new compounds with improved (redshifted) properties for optoelectronics applications.

C-Functionalized Cationic Diazaoxatriangulenes: Late-Stage Synthesis and Tuning of Physicochemical Properties.

A series of nine C-functionalized cationic diazaoxatriangulene (DAOTA) dyes have been successfully synthesized and fully characterized, including X-ray structural analysis of four derivatives. The introduction of electron-withdrawing or -donating functions enables the tuning of both electro- and photochemical properties with, for instance, two consecutive (reversible) reductions or oxidations observed for nitro or amino derivatives, respectively. The substituents also impacted on the optical properties, with absorption maxima varying from λ=528 to 640 nm and fluorescence being shifted from the yellow to the red range, up to λ=656 nm.

Specific labeling of mitochondria of Chlamydomonas with cationic helicene fluorophores.

Twelve cationic helicenes and one triangulene were tested for the specific labeling of mitochondria from algal cells. Octyl ester derivative 5 readily penetrates algal cells and gives rise to clear fluorescence patterns when it is used at concentrations in the µM range. Under these conditions, cell structures are well preserved and cell survival is not compromised. Cationic helicene compounds such as 5 provide new useful tools for examining the mitochondrial network and its dynamics including fission and fusion events.

Central substitution of azacalixphyrins: a strategy towards acidochromic NIR dyes.

Azacalixphyrin derivatives constitute one of the most intriguing class of macrocyclic compounds. Indeed, these isostructural and isoelectronic analogues of porphyrins intensively absorb light up to the near infrared region, exist in several tautomeric forms and present a bis-zwitterionic structure, with a central dianionic core surrounded by positively-charged trimethine cyanines. However, control of the position of the absorption bands of azacalixphyrin remains an important challenge, as the experimental attempts reported to date have led to very modest auxochromic shifts only. Inspired by previous work demonstrating that the optical signatures of cyanines can be strongly modified by using central substituents, we have evaluated the validity of this strategy for azacalixphyrin considering several substituents positioned in symmetric or asymmetric manners around the core and linked through both single and double bonds, as well as several protonation states of the macrocycles. It turns out that bromine and dimethylamino substituents have a negligible or weak impact on the optical properties of azacalixphyrins with maximal redshifts smaller than 0.10 eV. The imino substitution induces strong geometrical deformations that counterbalance the electronic effects leading to rather modest variations of the optical signatures. In contrast, for keto-substituted macrocycles, electronic effects dominate and very strong acidochromic shifts are predicted with absorption wavelengths going from 811 to 1095 nm upon double deprotonation.

Enantiospecific Elongation of Cationic Helicenes by Electrophilic Functionalization at Terminal Ends.

A strategy for late-stage electrophilic functionalizations of cationic helicenes is exposed. Thanks to strongly acidic conditions that permit reversible electrophilic substitutions, regioselective acylations, sulfonylations, or alkylations occur at the extremity(ies) of the helical cores. Extended [5] or [6]helicenes can then be generated from cationic [4]helicenes in successive one-pot elongation processes. Retention of configuration and excellent enantiospecificity (up to 99 %) are observed for the helicene growth in the enantiopure series.

Synthesis, Electrochemistry, and Photophysics of Aza-BODIPY Porphyrin Dyes.

The synthesis of dyad and triad aza-BODIPY-porphyrin systems in two steps starting from an aryl-substituted aza-BODIPY chromophore is described. The properties of the resulting aza-BODIPY-porphyrin conjugates have been extensively investigated by means of electrochemistry, spectroelectrochemistry, and absorption/emission spectroscopy. Fluorescence measurements have revealed a dramatic loss of luminescence intensity, mainly due to competitive energy transfer and photoinduced electron transfer involving charge separation followed by recombination.

Physicochemical and Electronic Properties of Cationic [6]Helicenes: from Chemical and Electrochemical Stabilities to Far-Red (Polarized) Luminescence.

The physicochemical properties of cationic dioxa (1), azaoxa (2), and diaza (3) [6]helicenes demonstrate a much higher chemical stability of the diaza adduct 3 (pKR+ =20.4, Ered1/2 =-0.72 V) compared to its azaoxa 2 (pKR+ =15.2, Ered1/2 =-0.45 V) and dioxa 1 (pKR+ =8.8, Ered1/2 =-0.12 V) analogues. The fluorescence of these cationic chromophores is established, and ranges from the orange to the far-red regions. From 1 to 3, a bathochromic shift of the lowest energy transitions (up to 614 nm in acetonitrile) and an enhancement of the fluorescence quantum yields and lifetimes (up to 31 % and 9.8 ns, respectively, at 658 nm) are observed. The triplet quantum yields and circularly polarized luminescence are also reported. Finally, fine tuning of the optical properties of the diaza [6]helicene core is achieved through selective and orthogonal post-functionalization reactions (12 examples, compounds 4-15). The electronic absorption is modulated from the orange to the far-red spectral range (560-731 nm), and fluorescence is observed from 591 to 755 nm with enhanced quantum efficiency up to 70 % (619 nm). The influence of the peripheral auxochrome substituents is rationalized by first-principles calculations.

Zwitterionic [4]helicene: a water-soluble and reversible pH-triggered ECD/CPL chiroptical switch in the UV and red spectral regions.

The chiroptical switching properties of a readily accessible and water-soluble diaza [4]helicene are disclosed. This zwitterionic dye displays pH-dependent absorption and emission properties and this enables a reversible turn on/off of electronic circular dichroism at 300 nm and of circularly polarized luminescence in the red region upon protonation/deprotonation.