5,7-Bis(2'-arylethenyl)-6H-1,4-diazepine-2,3-dicarbonitriles: synthesis, and experimental and theoretical evaluation of the effects of substituents at 5,6,7-positions on the molecular configuration and spectral properties.

A series of novel 5,7-bis(2'-arylethenyl)-6H-1,4-diazepine-2,3-dicarbonitriles was synthesized through sequential aldol condensation reactions of 1,3-diketones with diaminomaleonitrile, and the resulting 5,7-dimethyl-6H-1,4-diazepines were condensed with aromatic aldehydes. The substituents' effects on the spectral properties and conformational states of the molecules in solution were studied using 2D NMR techniques and DFT calculations. Specific intramolecular steric interactions in derivatives substituted at the C6 position were discovered and investigated in detail. Differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetric analyses revealed the strong dependence of the thermal stability of the newly prepared diazepinodicarbonitriles on the nature of the substituents. This offers new insight into the structure-property relationships of arylethenyl-substituted diazepine derivatives.

Electronic and steric effects controlling monomer-dimer self-assembly in 6H-1,4-diazepinoporphyrazines: an experimental and theoretical study.

A series of 5,7-disubstituted 1,4-diazepinoporphyrazinato magnesium(II) and nickel(II) complexes, including two novel compounds, were obtained by metal-templated macrocyclization. A combination of X-ray diffraction, 1H NMR, UV-vis, and electrochemical analyses allowed us to study their tendency towards H-type dimerization and trace the influence of structural and solvation factors on dimer stability. Based on the physicochemical and theoretical DFT calculation data, it was found that the main binding forces between 6H-1,4-diazepinoporphyrazine decks in the dimers were efficient π-π donor-acceptor interactions induced by the interdeck C-H⋯N hydrogen bonds. Furthermore, the metal-ligand (Pz2- â†’ M2+) electronic interactions have a key influence on the π-π stacking of the porphyrazine cores. It was shown that the displacement of the metal ion out of the macrocycle plane induced by coordinating agents can trigger the dissociation of the dimer, since the resulting enhancement of the donor-acceptor electronic interaction between the metal ion and the π-system of the ligand leads to a subsequent weakening of the π-π stacking of the porphyrazine cores. The TD-DFT calculations predicted the non-degeneracy of the HOMO-1 → LUMO and HOMO → LUMO+1 transitions in the 6H-1,4-diazepinoporphyrazine H-dimers, which explains the Q-band splitting in their UV-vis spectra.

Synthesis and characterization of heteroleptic rare earth double-decker complexes involving tetradiazepinoporphyrazine and phthalocyanine macrocycles.

Reaction of (2,3,9,10,16,17,23,24-octabutylphthalocyaninato)lanthanide(iii) acetylacetonates (BuPcLn(acac), 1a-c, Ln = Lu (a), Eu (b), La (c)) with a tetrakis(5,7-bis(4-tert-butylphenyl)-6H-1,4-diazepino)[2,3-b,g,l,q]porphyrazine ligand (tBuPhDzPzH2, 2) produced sandwich compounds (tBuPhDzPz)Ln(BuPc) (3a-c), which represent the first heteroleptic double-deckers incorporating both Pc and DzPz decks. A combination of high-resolution mass spectrometry, UV-Vis/NIR, MCD, and 1H NMR spectroscopy, and square-wave voltammetry provided unambiguous characterization of target complexes 3 indicating that their spectral and electrochemical properties are generally intermediate with respect to their homoleptic relatives. Based on the data of solution-state 1H-1H NMR (COSY, NOESY) correlation spectroscopy supported by DFT calculations, a dimerization tendency of compounds 3 proportional to the Ln(iii) ion size was found. The spectroelectrochemical study of 3 and the corresponding homoleptic double-deckers revealed a pronounced tendency to aggregation of the one-electron oxidized forms of DzPz-containing double-decker complexes compared to homoleptic Pc2Ln compounds.

Optical readout of controlled monomer-dimer self-assembly.

5,7-Substituted 1,4-diazepinoporphyrazine magnesium(ii) complexes were synthesized via Mg(ii)-alkoxide templated macrocyclization. A single crystal growth synchrotron diffraction analysis permitted what is to our knowledge the first structural characterization of a 1,4-diazepinoporphyrazine. It exists as a dimer in the solid state. In silico calculations supported by solution phase spectral studies involving a series of representative derivatives, provided insights into the factors governing dimerization of 1,4-diazepinoporphyrazines. The present 1,4-diazepinoporphyrazines serve as useful probes for understanding the determinants that guide dimer-monomer equilibria and the self-assembly of phthalocyanine derivatives.

Double-decker bis(tetradiazepinoporphyrazinato) rare earth complexes: crucial role of intramolecular hydrogen bonding.

A series of homoleptic bis{tetrakis(5,7-bis(4-tert-butylphenyl)-6H-1,4-diazepino)[2,3-b,g,l,q]porphyrazinato}lanthanide sandwich complexes [(tBuPh)DzPz]2Ln (Ln = Lu, Er, Dy, Eu, Nd, Ce, La) were prepared and their physicochemical properties were studied to gain insight into the nature of specific interactions in diazepinoporphyrazines. The effect of annulated diazepine moieties and the Ln ionic radius on the properties of the complexes was investigated in comparison with double-decker phthalocyanines. A combination of experimental and theoretical studies revealed the presence of two types of hydrogen bonding interactions in the metal-free porphyrazine and the corresponding sandwich complexes, namely, interligand C-H(ax)N(meso) hydrogen bonding and O-HN(Dz) ligand-water interaction. The interligand hydrogen bonding imparts high stability of the ligand dimer and the double-decker compounds in a reduced state. This work is the first comprehensive investigation into the fundamental understanding of the unusual properties of diazepine-containing macroheterocycles.