Detecting Fe(II) Spin-Crossover by Modulation of Appended Eu(III) Luminescence in a Single Molecule.

Multifunctionality in spin-crossover (SCO) devices is limited to macroscopic or nanoscopic materials because of the need for long-range effects for inducing favorable cooperativity, efficient energy migration processes, and detectable magnetization transfer. The difficult reproducibility, control, and rational design of doped materials offer some place to SCO processes, modulating the optical properties of neighboring luminescent probes in single molecules. We report here on the combination of a [FeN6] chromophore, the SCO temperature and absorption spectra of which have been tuned to induce unprecedented room-temperature modulation of Eu(III)-based line-like luminescence in the molecular triple-helical [EuFe(L2)3]5+ complex in solution.

A Dual-Mode Near-Infrared Optical and Photoacoustic Imaging Agent Based on a Low Energy Absorbing Ytterbium Complex.

Near-infrared (NIR) luminescence and photoacoustic (PA) imaging have attracted increasing attention for the real-time monitoring of biological samples due to high sensitivity, resolution, and pronounced signal detection depth, respectively. For improved contrast, both techniques require imaging agents possessing high absorption in the red-NIR range. Herein, we took advantage of a ternary complex formed with the anionic ytterbium(III) tetrakis(2-thenoyltrifluoroacetonate) ([Yb(tta)4]-) and the cationic NIR-absorbing chromophore, 1,1'-diethyl-2,2'-dicarbocyanine (Cy+), to evaluate its potential to act as a dual-mode NIR luminescence and PA imaging agent. We demonstrated that, upon excitation with red-NIR light, Cy[Yb(tta)4] encapsulated into polystyrene nanoparticles is able to generate both NIR Yb3+ emission and a PA signal in an imaging experiment performed in a tissue-mimicking phantom.

Polycyclic Pyrazolidines by Tandem Diazomalonate Dipolar Cycloadditions and CpRu-Catalyzed Carbene Additions.

Thanks to the ability of diazo derivatives to react either as 1,3-dipoles and as carbenes after dinitrogen extrusion, combinations of oxa or aza benzonorbornadienes and diazomalonates afford polycyclic pyrazolidines via a three-step sequence of (i) a highly diastereoselective [3+2]-cycloaddition, (ii) a CpRu-catalyzed carbene addition, and (iii) a second dipolar cycloaddition. Of importance, step (II) represents a unique access to novel bench-stable N,N-cyclic azomethine imines, which behave as effective 1,3-dipoles in combination with electron-poor dipolarophiles. Each step proceeds efficiently and the 3-step process can be performed in one-pot to yield a polycyclic pyrazolidine in excellent overall yield (90 %).

Tuning Selectivity and Stability in Heteroleptic Lanthanide Adducts by Ligand Design.

Terdentate ligands L10-L14 and their heteroleptic [LkLn(hfac)3] complexes (Ln = La, Eu, Gd, Er, or Y; H-hfac = 1,1,1,5,5,5-hexafluoropentane-2,4-dione) exhibit multifactorial correlations between the ligand's structural frameworks, including their level of preorganization and steric congestion and their affinities and selectivities for catching the trivalent lanthanide containers [Ln(hfac)3]. The polyaromatic ligand scaffolds could be stepwise modulated via lanthanide-template synthetic strategies, using intermolecular rhodium-catalyzed insertion reactions. The increasing level of preorganization along the L10 → L11 → L12 series leads to a duality in which larger thermodynamic formation constants with lanthanides in CD2Cl2 are accompanied by an unexpected decrease in the Ln-N affinities in the solid state, which could be assigned to a limited match between the lanthanide size and the enlarged preorganized cavities. On the contrary, a reduced stability is induced by the connection of additional methyl groups at position 1 of the benzimidazole moieties in L13 and L14, which is accompanied by an optimization of metal-nitrogen bond lengths. This study contributes to the rational design of highly stable neutral heteroleptic lanthanide ß-diketonate adducts that resist dissociation in solution, a prerequisite for photophysical applications using these highly luminescent systems at the molecular level.

Additional Insights into the Design of Cr(III) Phosphorescent Emitters Using 6-Membered Chelate Ring Bis(imidazolyl) Didentate Ligands.

The interest in Cr(III) complexes has been renewed over the past decades for building practical guidelines in the design of efficient earth-abundant phosphorescent near-infrared emitters. In that context, we report the first family of homoleptic tri(didentate) Cr(III) complexes [CrL3]3+ based on polyaromatic ligands inducing 6-membered chelate rings, namely, the bis(1-methylimidazol-2-yl)ketone (L = bik), bis(1-methylimidazol-2-yl)methane (L = bim), and bis(1-methylimidazol-2-yl)ethane (L = bie) ligands. The programmed close-to-perfect octahedral microsymmetry of {CrIIIN6} chromophores found in [Cr(bik)3](OTf)3 (1), [Cr(bim)3](OTf)3 (2), and [Cr(bie)3](BF4)3 (3) ensures a ligand-field strength large enough to induce intense and long-lived Cr-based phosphorescence. Impressive excited-state lifetimes (5.0-8.2 ms) were obtained at low temperatures for the [Cr(L)3]3+ series. Additionally, the photoluminescent quantum yield climbs to 0.8% for compound 1 in deaerated solutions. Moreover, the photophysical features of the three homoleptic complexes are barely influenced by the presence of dioxygen presumably because of the poor overlap between the Cr-based phosphorescence spectra (ca. 14100 cm-1) and the 1Σg+ ← 3Σg- transition in the absorption spectrum of dioxygen (13100 cm-1). The multiredox electrochemical pattern of 1 is evidenced by cyclic voltammetry as well as its strong photooxidant behavior. The pH sensitivity of 2 and 3 luminescence is discussed, along with the reactivity of their ß-diketiminate derivatives.

Seeking Brightness in Molecular Erbium-Based Light Upconversion.

Whereas dye-sensitized lanthanide-doped nanoparticles represent an unquestionable advance for pushing linear near-infrared (NIR) to visible-light upconversion within the frame of applications, analogous improvements are difficult to mimic for related but intramolecular processes induced at the molecular level in coordination complexes. Major difficulties arise from the cationic nature of the target cyanine-containing sensitizers (S), which drastically limits their thermodynamic affinities for catching the lanthanide activators (A) required for performing linear light upconversion. In this context, the rare previous design of stable dye-containing molecular SA light-upconverters required large S···A distances at the cost of the operation of only poorly efficient intramolecular S → A energy transfers and global sensitization. With the synthesis of the compact ligand [L2]+, we exploit here the benefit of using a single sulfur connector between the dye and the binding unit for counterbalancing the drastic electrostatic penalty which is expected to prevent metal complexation. Quantitative amounts of nine-coordinate [L2Er(hfac)3]+ molecular adducts could be finally prepared in solution at millimolar concentrations, while the S···A distance has been reduced by 40% to reach circa 0.7 nm. Detailed photophysical studies demonstrate the operation of a three times improved energy transfer upconversion (ETU) mechanism for molecular [L2Er(hfac)3]+ in acetonitrile at room temperature, thanks to the boosted heavy atom effect operating in the close cyanine/Er pair. NIR excitation at 801 nm can thus be upconverted into visible light (525-545 nm) with an unprecedented brightness of Bup(801 nm) = 2.0(1) × 10-3 M-1·cm-1 for a molecular lanthanide complex.

Preorganized Polyaromatic Soft Terdentate Hosts for the Capture of [Ln(ß-diketonate)3 ] Guests in Solution.

The concept of preorganization is famous in coordination chemistry for having transformed flexible bidentate 2,2'-bipyridine scaffolds into rigid 1,10-phenanthroline platforms. The resulting boosted affinities for d-block cations has successfully paved the way for the design of a wealth of functional complexes, devices and materials for analysis and optics. Its extension toward terdentate homologues adapted for the selective complexation of f-block cations with larger coordination numbers remains more overlooked. The resulting rigidification of 2,6-bis(1-methyl-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-2-yl)pyridine ligands (L1-L7) produces the highly preorganized and extended polyaromatic benzo[4',5']imidazo[1',2' : 1,2]pyrido[3,4-b]benzo[4,5]imidazo[1,2-h][1,7]naphthyridines (L8-L11) receptors, which offer some novel and rare opportunities for efficiently complexing trivalent lanthanides with polyaromatic soft terimine ligands. The crystal structures of the stable heteroleptic [LkLn(hfac)3 ] adducts (Lk=L1, L8, L9; Ln=La, Eu, Gd, Er, Yb, Y; H-hfac=1,1,1,5,5,5-hexafluoropentane-2,4-dione) show a drastic decrease in the Ln-N bond valences upon replacement of the flexible ligand L1 with its preorganized counterparts L8 and L9. This points to a limited match between the preorganized cavity and the entering [Ln(hfac)3 ] lanthanide containers. However, thermodynamic studies conducted in dichloromethane reach the opposite conclusion, with an improved affinity, by up to three orders of magnitude for catching Ln(hfac)3 when L1 is replaced by the preorganized L8-L9 receptors. The key to the enigma lies in the removal of the energy penalty which accompanies the formation of flexible [L1Ln(hfac)3 ] complexes in solution. This driving force overcomes the poor match between the preorganized terdentate N∩ N∩ N cavity in L8 and L9 and the size of trivalent lanthanides. As planned, the rigid, planar and extended π-conjugated system found in L8 and L9 shifts the ligand-centered absorption bands by about 5000 cm-1 toward lower energies, a crucial point if these stable [L8Ln(hfac)3 ] and [L9Ln(hfac)3 ] platforms have to be considered for the visible sensitization of luminescent lanthanides in metallopolymers.

Symmetry and Rigidity for Boosting Erbium-Based Molecular Light-Upconversion in Solution.

Previously limited to highly symmetrical homoleptic triple-helical complexes [Er(Lk)3 ]3+ , where Lk are polyaromatic tridentate ligands, single-center molecular-based upconversion using linear optics and exploiting the excited-state absorption mechanism (ESA) greatly benefits from the design of stable and low-symmetrical [LkEr(hfa)3 ] heteroleptic adducts (hfa- =hexafluoroacetylacetonate anion). Depending on (i) the extended π-electron delocalization, (ii) the flexibility and (iii) the heavy atom effect brought by the bound ligand Lk, the near-infrared (801 nm) to visible green (542 nm) upconversion quantum yield measured for [LkEr(hfa)3 ] in solution at room temperature can be boosted by up to three orders of magnitude.

Multistate Aggregation-Induced Chiroptical Properties of Enantiopure Disulfide-Mediated Bispyrene Macrocycles.

A chiral bispyrene macrocycle designed for exclusive intermolecular excimer fluorescence upon aggregation was synthesized by a double hydrothiolation of a bis-enol ether macrocycle followed by intramolecular oxidation of free thiols. Unusually high stereoselectivity was achieved for the thiol-ene additions under templated conditions and Et3 B/O2 radical initiation. After enantiomer separation (chiral stationary phase HPLC), aqueous conditions provoked aggregation. Detailed structural evolution was afforded by ECD/CPL monitoring. Three regimes can be observed and characterized by strong modifications in chiroptical patterns under, at, or above a 70 % H2 O : THF threshold. In luminescence, high glum dissymmetry factors values were obtained, up to 0.022, as well as a double sign inversion of CPL signals during the aggregation, a behavior rationalized by time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculations. Langmuir layers of enantiopure disulfide macrocycles were formed at the air-water interface and transferred onto solid substrates to afford Langmuir-Blodgett films, which were then studied by AFM and UV/ECD/fluorescence/CPL.

Triple Regioselective Functionalization of Cationic [4]Helicenes via Iridium-Catalyzed Borylation and Suzuki Cross-Coupling Reactivity.

In essentially one-pot, using Ir- and Pd-catalysis, tris(arene)-functionalized cationic [4]helicenes are synthesized with full regioselectivity and enantiospecificity starting from a trivial precursor (17 examples). This poly-addition of aryl groups improves key optical properties, that is, fluorescence quantum yields and lifetimes. Electronic circular dichroism and circularly polarized luminescence signatures are observed up to the far-red domain, in particular with additional arenes prone to aggregation.

Chemo- and Regioselective Multiple C(sp2 )-H Insertions of Malonate Metal Carbenes for Late-Stage Functionalizations of Azahelicenes.

Chiral quinacridines react up to four times, step-by-step, with α-diazomalonates under RuII and RhII catalysis. By selecting the catalyst, [CpRu(CH3 CN)3 ][PF6 ] (Cp=cyclopentadienyl) or Rh2 (oct)4 , chemo and regioselective insertions of derived metal carbenes are achieved in favor of mono- or bis-functionalized malonate derivatives, respectively, (r.r.>49 : 1, up to 77 % yield, 12 examples). This multi-introduction of malonate groups is particularly useful to tune optical and chemical properties such as absorption, emission or Brønsted acidity but also cellular bioimaging. Density-functional theory further elucidates the origin of the carbene insertion selectivity and also showcases the importance of conformations in the optical response.

Ligand-Sensitized Near-Infrared to Visible Linear Light Upconversion in a Discrete Molecular Erbium Complex.

While the low-absorption cross section of lanthanide-based upconversion systems, in which the trivalent lanthanides (Ln3+) are responsible for converting low- to high-energy photons, has restricted their application to intense incident light, the emergence of a cascade sensitization through an organic dye antenna capable of broadly harvesting near-infrared (NIR) light in upconversion nanoparticles opened new horizons in the field. With the aim of pushing molecular upconversion within the range of practical applications, we show herein how the incorporation of an NIR organic dye antenna into the ligand scaffold of a mononuclear erbium coordination complex boosts the upconversion brightness of the molecule to such an extent that a low-power (0.7 W·cm-2) NIR laser excitation of [L6Er(hfa)3]+ (hfa = hexafluoroacetylacetonate) at 801 nm results in a measurable visible upconverted signal in a dilute solution (5 × 10-4 M) at room temperature. Connecting the NIR dye antenna to the Er3+ activator in a single discrete molecule cures the inherent low-efficient metal-based excited-state absorption mechanism with a powerful indirect sensitization via an energy transfer upconversion, which drastically improves the molecular-based upconverted Er3+-centered visible emission.

Bottom-Up Approach for the Rational Loading of Linear Oligomers and Polymers with Lanthanides.

The adducts between luminescent lanthanide tris(ß-diketonate)s and diimine or triimine ligands have been explored exhaustively for their exceptional photophysical properties. Their formation, stability, and structures in solution, together with the design of extended metallopolymers exploiting these building blocks, remain, however, elusive. The systematic peripheral substitution of tridentate 2,6-bis(benzimidazol-2-yl)pyridine binding units (Lk = L1-L5), taken as building blocks for linear oligomers and polymers, allows a fine-tuning of their affinity toward neutral [Ln(hfa)3] (hfa = hexafluoroacetylacetonate) lanthanide containers in the [LkLn(hfa)3] adducts. Two trends emerge with (i) an unusual pronounced thermodynamic selectivity for midrange lanthanides (Ln = Eu) and (ii) an intriguing influence of remote peripheral substitutions of the benzimidazole rings on the affinity of the tridentate unit for [Ln(hfa)3]. These trends are amplified upon the connection of several tridentate binding units via their benzimidazole rings to give linear segmental dimers (L6) and trimers (L7), which are considered as models for programming linear Wolf-Type II metallopollymers. Modulation of the affinity between the terminal and central binding units in the linear multitridentate ligands deciphers the global decrease of metal-ligand binding strengths with an increase in the length of the receptors (monomer → dimer → trimer → polymer). Application of the site binding model shed light onto the origin of the variation of the thermodynamic affinities: a prerequisite for the programmed loading of a polymer backbone with luminescent lanthanide ß-diketonates. Analysis of the crystal structures for these adducts reveals delicate correlations between the chemical bond lengths measured in the solid state (or bond valence parameters) and the metal-ligand affinities operating in solution.

Ni-Catalyzed Regiodivergent and Stereoselective Hydroalkylation of Acyclic Branched Dienes with Unstabilized C(sp3) Nucleophiles.

Two complementary regiodivergent [(P,N)Ni]-catalyzed hydroalkylations of branched dienes are reported. When amides are employed as unstabilized C(sp3) nucleophiles, a highly regioselective 1,4-addition process is favored. The addition products are obtained in high yield and with excellent stereocontrol of the internal olefin. With use of a chiral ligand and imides as carbon nucleophiles, a 3,4-addition protocol was developed, enabling construction of two contiguous tertiary stereocenters in a single step with moderate to high levels of diastereocontrol and excellent enantiocontrol. Both methods operate under mild reaction conditions, display a broad scope, and show excellent functional group tolerance. The synthetic potential of the 3,4-hydroalkylation reaction was established via a series of postcatalytic modifications.

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).

Photo-induced thiol-ene reactions for late-stage functionalization of unsaturated polyether macrocycles: regio and diastereoselective access to macrocyclic dithiol derivatives.

Double hydrothiolation of bis enol ether macrocycles was achieved under photo-mediated conditions. The thiol-ene reactions afford a fully regioselective anti-Markovnikov post-functionalization. Thanks to the use of ethanedithiol as reagent, moderate to excellent diastereoselectivity was accomplished leading to macrocycles containing four defined stereocenters in only three steps from 1,4-dioxane, tetrahydrofuran (THF) or tetrahydropyran (THP).

Stereoselective deconjugation of macrocyclic α,ß-unsaturated esters by sequential amidation and olefin transposition: application to enantioselective phase-transfer catalysis.

The stereoselective synthesis of chiral macrocycles bearing two aliphatic amide functional groups is reported. After the amidation mediated by TBD, a guanidine derivative, the olefin transposition step is performed with a slight excess of t-BuOK. The products are afforded in moderate to good combined yields (up to 59%) and with an excellent syn diastereoselectivity (dr > 49 : 1). Introducing enantiopure α-branched substituents was possible and it resulted in mixtures of diastereomers, which could be tested as phase-transfer catalysts using the formation of a phenylalanine analog as a test reaction (up to 43% ee). A clear matched-mismatched situation was observed in the two diastereomeric series.

Very Long-Lived Photogenerated High-Spin Phase of a Multistable Spin-Crossover Molecular Material.

The spin-crossover compound [Fe( n-Bu-im)3(tren)](PF6)2 shows an unusual long relaxation time of 20 h after light-induced excited spin state trapping when irradiating at 80 K. This is more than 40 times longer than when irradiating at 10 K. Optical absorption spectroscopy, magnetometry, and X-ray diffraction using synchrotron radiation were used to characterize and explain the different relaxation behaviors of this compound after irradiation below and above 70 K. Rearrangement of the butyl chains of the ligands occurring during the relaxation after irradiation above 70 K is thought to be responsible for the unusually long relaxation time at this temperature.

Deciphering the Influence of Meridional versus Facial Isomers in Spin Crossover Complexes.

Chelate coordination of non-symmetrical didentate pyrazine-benzimidazole (L1) or pyridine-benzimidazole (L2) N-donor ligands around divalent iron in acetonitrile produces stable homoleptic triple-helical spin crossover [Fe(Lk)3 ]2+ complexes existing as mixtures of meridional (C1 -symmetry) and facial (C3 -symmetry) isomers in slow exchange on the NMR timescale. The speciation deviates from the expected statistical ratio mer/fac=3:1, a trend assigned to the thermodynamic trans-influence, combined with solvation effects. Consequently, the observed spin state FeII low-spin ↔FeII high-spin equilibria occurring in [Fe(Lk)3 ]2+ refer to mixtures of complexes in solution, an issue usually not considered in this field, but which limits rational structure-properties correlations. Taking advantage of the selective and quantitative formation of isostructural facial isomers in non-constrained related spin crossover d-f helicates (HHH)-[LnFe(Lk)3 ]5+ (Ln is a trivalent lanthanide, Lk=L5, L6), we propose a novel strategy for assigning pertinent thermodynamic driving forces to each spin crossover triple-helical isomer. The different enthalpic contributions to the spin state equilibrium found in mer-[Fe(Lk)3 ]2+ and fac-[Fe(Lk)3 ]2+ reflect the Fe-N bond strengths dictated by the trans-influence, whereas a concomitant solvent-based entropic contribution reinforces the latter effect and results in systematic shifts of the spin crossover transitions toward higher temperature in the facial isomers.

Thermodynamic Programming of Erbium(III) Coordination Complexes for Dual Visible/Near-Infrared Luminescence.

Intrigued by the unexpected room-temperature dual visible/near-infrared (NIR) luminescence observed for fast-relaxing erbium complexes embedded in triple-stranded helicates, in this contribution, we explore a series of six tridentate N-donor receptors L4-L9 with variable aromaticities and alkyl substituents to extricate the stereoelectronic features responsible for such scarce optical signatures. Detailed solid-state (X-ray diffraction, differential scanning calorimetry, optical spectroscopy) and solution (speciations and thermodynamic stabilities, spectrophotometry, NMR and optical spectroscopy) studies of mononuclear unsaturated [Er(Lk)2 ]3+ and saturated triple-helical [Er(Lk)3 ]3+ model complexes reveal that the stereoelectronic changes induced by the organic ligands affect inter- and intramolecular interactions to such an extent that 1) melting temperatures in solids, 2) the affinity for trivalent erbium in solution, and 3) optical properties in luminescent complexes can be rationally varied and controlled. With this toolkit in hand, mononuclear erbium complexes with low stabilities displaying only NIR emission can be transformed into molecular-based dual Er-centered visible/NIR emitters operating at room temperature in both solid and solution states.