(Meth)acrylate-Free Three-Dimensional Printing of Bio-Derived Photocurable Resins with Terpene- and Itaconic Acid-Derived Poly(ester-thioether)s.

Vat photopolymerization, a very efficient and precise object manufacturing technique, still strongly relies on the use of acrylate- and methacrylate-based formulations because of their low cost and high reactivity. However, the environmental impact of using fossil fuel-based, volatile, and toxic (meth)acrylic acid derivatives is driving the scientific community toward the development of alternatives that can match the mechanical performance and three-dimensional (3D) printing processability of traditional photocurable mixtures but are made from environmentally friendly building blocks. Herein, itaconic acid is polymerized with polyols derived from naturally occurring terpenes to produce photocurable poly(ester-thioether)s. The formulation of such polymers using itaconic acid-based reactive diluents allows the preparation of a series of (meth)acrylate-free photocurable resins, which can be 3D printed into solid objects. Extensive analysis has been conducted on the properties of photocured polymers including their thermal, thermomechanical, and mechanical characteristics. The findings suggest that these materials exhibit properties comparable to those of traditional alternatives that are created using harmful and toxic blends. Notably, the photocured polymers are composed of biobased constituents ranging from 75 to 90 wt %, which is among the highest values ever recorded for vat photopolymerization applications.

Unexpected reactivity of cyclometalated iridium(III) dimers. Direct synthesis of a mononuclear luminescent complex.

A new synthetic method has been developed for the preparation of unexpected emissive iridium(III) complexes (A and B), directly obtained from the established [Ir(ppy)2(µ-Cl)]2 dimer, under reaction conditions in which such compounds are usually considered stable. Complex A ([Ir(ppy)2(Oppy)], where Hppy = 2-phenylpyridine and HOppy = 2-(o-hydroxyphenyl)pyridine) was obtained from the dimer without the addition of further ancillary ligands in the reaction environment, but in the presence of a basic water environment in 2-ethoxyethanol as solvent at 165 °C. The complex evidences the unexpected insertion of an oxygen atom between the iridium(III) center and the carbon atom of one ppy moiety. Under specific reaction conditions, the mer-[Ir(ppy)3] complex (B) was obtained. The presence of the right amount of water is important to maximize the formation of A relative to B. Both compounds were fully characterized by NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry (MS), and the X-ray structure of A was also determined. DFT calculations were used to shed light on the reaction mechanism leading to the unexpected formation of A, suggesting that the Oppy ligand is generated intramolecularly once the [Ir(ppy)2(µ-OH)]2 dimer is formed. The process is probably assisted by a redox reaction involving the second iridium(III) center in the dimer. The electrochemical and photophysical properties of complexes A and B were investigated in comparison with the well-known fac-[Ir(ppy)3] analogue (C). Complex A displays a green emission (λmax = 545 nm) with a photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of nearly 40%, whereas the oxygen-free counterpart B is poorly emissive, exhibiting an orange emission (λmax = 605 nm) with a PLQY below 10%. These findings may pave the way for the direct synthesis of neutral luminescent complexes with the general formula [Ir(C^N)2(OC^N)], even using dimers with non-commercial or highly substituted C^N ligands, without the need for synthesizing the corresponding hydroxyl-substituted ancillary ligand, which may be hardly obtainable.

Loco-regional treatment with temozolomide-loaded thermogels prevents glioblastoma recurrences in orthotopic human xenograft models.

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most aggressive primary tumor of the central nervous system and the diagnosis is often dismal. GBM pharmacological treatment is strongly limited by its intracranial location beyond the blood-brain barrier (BBB). While Temozolomide (TMZ) exhibits the best clinical performance, still less than 20% crosses the BBB, therefore requiring administration of very high doses with resulting unnecessary systemic side effects. Here, we aimed at designing new negative temperature-responsive gel formulations able to locally release TMZ beyond the BBB. The biocompatibility of a chitosan-ß-glycerophosphate-based thermogel (THG)-containing mesoporous SiO2 nanoparticles (THG@SiO2) or polycaprolactone microparticles (THG@PCL) was ascertained in vitro and in vivo by cell counting and histological examination. Next, we loaded TMZ into such matrices (THG@SiO2-TMZ and THG@PCL-TMZ) and tested their therapeutic potential both in vitro and in vivo, in a glioblastoma resection and recurrence mouse model based on orthotopic growth of human cancer cells. The two newly designed anticancer formulations, consisting in TMZ-silica (SiO2@TMZ) dispersed in the thermogel matrix (THG@SiO2-TMZ) and TMZ, spray-dried on PLC and incorporated into the thermogel (THG@PCL-TMZ), induced cell death in vitro. When applied intracranially to a resected U87-MG-Red-FLuc human GBM model, THG@SiO2-TMZ and THG@PCL-TMZ caused a significant reduction in the growth of tumor recurrences, when compared to untreated controls. THG@SiO2-TMZ and THG@PCL-TMZ are therefore new promising gel-based local therapy candidates for the treatment of GBM.

A Pyridyl-1,2-azaborine Ligand for Phosphorescent Neutral Iridium(III) Complexes.

A novel 1,2-azaborine (i.e., 4-methyl-2-(pyridin-2-yl)-2,1-borazaronaphthalene, 1a) has been synthesized and used for the first time as a B-N alternative to common cyclometalating ligands to obtain neutral phosphorescent iridium(III) complexes (i.e., 2a, 3, and 4) of general formula [Ir(C∧N)2(N∧NB)], where C∧N indicates three different cyclometalating ligands (Hppy = 2-phenylpyridine; Hdfppy = 2-(2,4-difluoro-phenyl)pyridine; Hpqu = 2-methyl-3-phenylquinoxaline). Moreover, the azaborine-based complex 2a was compared to the isoelectronic C═C iridium(III) complex 2b, obtained using the corresponding 2-(naphthalen-2-yl)pyridine ligand 1b. Due to the dual cyclometalation mode of such C═C ligand, the isomeric complex 2c was also obtained. All new compounds have been fully characterized by NMR spectroscopy and high-resolution mass spectrometry (MS), and the X-ray structure of 2a was determined. The electronic properties of both ligands and complexes were investigated by electrochemical, density functional theory (DFT), and photophysical methods showing that, compared to the naphthalene analogues, the azaborine ligand induces a larger band gap in the corresponding complexes, resulting in increased redox gap (basically because of the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) stabilization) and blue-shifted emission bands (e.g., λmax = 523 vs 577 nm for 2a vs 2b, in acetonitrile solution at 298 K). On the other hand, the 3LC nature of the emitting state is the same in all complexes and remains centered on the pyridyl-borazaronaphthalene or its C═C pyridyl-naphthalene analogue. As a consequence, the quantum yields of such azaborine-based complexes are comparable to those of the more classical C═C counterparts (e.g., photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) = 16 vs 22% for 2a vs 2b, in acetonitrile solution at 298 K) but with enhanced excited-state energy. This proves that such type of azaborine ligands can be effectively used for the development of novel classes of photoactive transition-metal complexes for light-emitting devices or photocatalytic applications.

Iridium-Functionalized Cellulose Microcrystals as a Novel Luminescent Biomaterial for Biocomposites.

Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) is an emerging material with outstanding properties in many scientific and industrial fields, in particular as an additive in composite materials. Its surface modification allows for the fine-tuning of its properties and the exploitation of these materials in a plethora of applications. In this paper, we present the covalent linkage of a luminescent Ir-complex onto the surface of MCC, representing the first incorporation of an organometallic luminescent probe in this biomaterial. This goal has been achieved with an easy and sustainable procedure, which employs a Bronsted-acid ionic liquid as a catalyst for the esterification reaction of -OH cellulose surface groups. The obtained luminescent cellulose microcrystals display high and stable emissions with the incorporation of only a small amount of iridium (III). Incorporation of MCC-Ir in dry and wet matrices, such as films and gels, has been also demonstrated, showing the maintenance of the luminescent properties even in possible final manufacturers.

4-Phenyl-1,2,3-triazoles as Versatile Ligands for Cationic Cyclometalated Iridium(III) Complexes.

Five cationic iridium(III) complexes (1-5) were synthesized exploiting two triazole-based cyclometalating ligands, namely, 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1H-1,2,3-triazole (A) and the corresponding mesoionic carbene 1,3-dimethyl-4-phenyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-5-ylidene (B). From the combination of these two ligands and the ancillary one, i.e., 4,4'-di-tert-butyl-2,2'-bipyridine (for 1-3) or tert-butyl isocyanide (for 4 and 5), not only the typical bis-heteroleptic complexes but also the much less explored tris-heteroleptic analogues (2 and 5) could be synthesized. The redox and emission properties of all of the complexes are effectively fine-tuned by the different ligands: (i) cyclometalating ligand A induces a stronger highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) stabilization compared to B and leads to complexes with progressively narrower HOMO-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) and redox gaps, and lower emission energy; (ii) complexes 1-3, equipped with the bipyridine ancillary ligand, display fully reversible redox processes and emit from predominantly metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) states with high emission quantum yields, up to 60% in polymeric matrix; (iii) complexes 4 and 5, equipped with high-field isocyanide ligands, display irreversible redox processes and high-energy emission from strongly ligand-centered triplets with long emission lifetimes but relatively low quantum yields (below 6%, both in room-temperature solution and in solid state). This work demonstrates the versatility of phenyl-triazole derivatives as cyclometalating ligands with different chelation modes (i.e., C∧N and C∧C:) for the synthesis of photoactive iridium(III) complexes with highly tunable properties.

Itaconic-Acid-Based Sustainable Poly(ester amide) Resin for Stereolithography.

Material science is recognized as a frontrunner in achieving a sustainable future, owing to its primary reliance upon petroleum-based chemical raw materials. Several efforts are made to implement common renewable feedstocks as an alternative to common fossil resources. For this purpose, additive manufacturing (AM) represents promising and effective know-how for the replacement of high energy- and resource-demanding processes with more environmentally friendly practices. This work presents a novel biobased ink for stereolithography, which has been formulated by mixing a photocurable poly(ester amide) (PEA) obtained from renewable resources with citrate and itaconate cross-linkers and appropriate photopolymerization initiators, terminators, and dyes. The mechanical features and the relative biocompatibility of 3D-printed objects have been carefully studied to evaluate the possible resin implementation in the field of the textile fashion industry.

Synthesis of Ultrasmall Single-Crystal Gold-Silver Alloy Nanotriangles and Their Application in Photothermal Therapy.

Photothermal therapy has always been a very attractive anti-cancer strategy, drawing a lot of attention thanks to its excellent performance as a non-invasive and pretty safe technique. Lately, nanostructures have become the main characters of the play of cancer therapy due to their ability to absorb near-infrared radiation and efficient light-to-heat conversion. Here we present the synthesis of polyethylene glycol (PEG)-stabilized hybrid ultrasmall (<20 nm) gold-silver nanotriangles (AuAgNTrs) and their application in photothermal therapy. The obtained AuAgNTrs were deeply investigated using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). The cell viability assay was performed on U-87 glioblastoma multiforme cell model. Excellent photothermal performance of AuAgNTrs upon irradiation with NIR laser was demonstrated in suspension and in vitro, with >80% cell viability decrease already after 10 min laser irradiation with a laser power P = 3W/cm2 that was proved to be harmless to the control cells. Moreover, a previous cell viability test had shown that the nanoparticles themselves were reasonably biocompatible: without irradiation cell viability remained high. Herein, we show that our hybrid AuAgNTrs exhibit very exciting potential as nanostructures for hyperthermia cancer therapy, mostly due to their easy synthesis protocol, excellent cell compatibility and promising photothermal features.

Excited-State Engineering in Heteroleptic Ionic Iridium(III) Complexes.

Iridium(III) complexes have assumed a prominent role in the areas of photochemistry and photophysics due to the peculiar properties of both the metal itself and the ligand environment that can be assembled around it. Ir(III) is larger, heavier, and bears a higher ionic charge than its analogue and widely used d6 ions such as Fe(II) and Ru(II). Accordingly, its complexes exhibit wider ligand-field d-d orbital splitting with electronic levels centered on the metal, typically nonemissive and photodissociative, not playing a relevant role in excited-state deactivations. In other words, iridium complexes are typically more stable and/or more emissive than Fe(II) and Ru(II) systems. Additionally, the particularly strong heavy-atom effect of iridium promotes singlet-triplet transitions, with characteristic absorption features in the UV-vis and relatively short excited-state lifetimes of emissive triplet levels. Ir(III) is also a platform for anchoring ligands of rather different sorts. Its versatile chemistry includes not only coordination with classic N∧N neutral ligands but also the binding of negatively charged chelators, typically having a cyclometalating C∧N anchor. The carbon-metal bond in these systems has some degree of covalent character, but this does not preclude a localized description of the excited states of the related complexes, which can be designated as metal-centered (MC), ligand-centered (LC), or charge transfer (CT), allowing a simplified description of electronic and photophysical properties. The possibility of binding different types of ligands and making heteroleptic complexes is a formidable tool for finely tuning the nature and energy of the lowest electronic excited state of cationic Ir(III) complexes by ligand design. Herein we give an account of our work on several families of iridium complexes typically equipped with two cyclometalating bidentate ligands (C∧N), in combination with mono or bidentate "ancillary" ligands with N∧N, C∧N, and C∧C motifs. We have explored new synthesis routes for both cyclometalating and ancillary ligands, obtaining primarily cationic complexes but also some neutral or even negatively charged systems. In the domain of the ancillary ligands, we have explored isocyanides, carbenes, mesoionic triazolylidenes, and bis-tetrazolic ligands. For the cyclometalating moiety, we have investigated carbene, mesoionic triazolylidene, and tetrazolic systems. Key results of our work include new strategies to modify both cyclometalating and ancillary ligands by relocating ionic charges, the determination of new factors affecting the stability of complexes, a demonstration of subtle structural effects that strongly modify the photophysical properties, new options to get blue-greenish emitters for optoelectronic devices, and a set of ligand modifications allowing the optimization of electrochemical and excited-state properties to obtain new promising Ir(III) complexes for photoredox catalysis. These results constitute a step forward in the preparation of custom iridium-based materials crafted by excited-state engineering, which is achieved through the concerted effort of computational and synthetic chemistry along with electrochemistry and photochemistry.

Zein as a versatile biopolymer: different shapes for different biomedical applications.

In recent years, the interest regarding the use of proteins as renewable resources has deeply intensified. The strongest impact of these biomaterials is clear in the field of smart medicines and biomedical engineering. Zein, a vegetal protein extracted from corn, is a suitable biomaterial for all the above-mentioned purposes due to its biodegradability and biocompatibility. The controlled drug delivery of small molecules, fabrication of bioactive membranes, and 3D assembly of scaffold for tissue regeneration are just some of the topics now being extensively investigated and reported in the literature. Herein, we review the recent literature on zein as a biopolymer and its applications in the biomedical world, focusing on the different shapes and sizes through which it can be manipulated.

Surface-Modified Nanocellulose for Application in Biomedical Engineering and Nanomedicine: A Review.

Presently, a plenty of concerns related to the environment are due to the overuse of petroleum-based chemicals and products; the synthesis of functional materials, starting from the natural sources, is the current trend in research. The interest for nanocellulose has recently increased in a huge range of fields, from the material science to the biomedical engineering. Nanocellulose gained this leading role because of several reasons: its natural abundance on this planet, the excellent mechanical and optical features, the good biocompatibility and the attractive capability of undergoing surface chemical modifications. Nanocellulose surface tuning techniques are adopted by the high reactivity of the hydroxyl groups available; the chemical modifications are mainly performed to introduce either charged or hydrophobic moieties that include amination, esterification, oxidation, silylation, carboxymethylation, epoxidation, sulfonation, thiol- and azido-functional capability. Despite the several already published papers regarding nanocellulose, the aim of this review involves discussing the surface chemical functional capability of nanocellulose and the subsequent applications in the main areas of nanocellulose research, such as drug delivery, biosensing/bioimaging, tissue regeneration and bioprinting, according to these modifications. The final goal of this review is to provide a novel and unusual overview on this topic that is continuously under expansion for its intrinsic sophisticated properties.

Iridium(III) Complexes with Fluorinated Phenyl-tetrazoles as Cyclometalating Ligands: Enhanced Excited-State Energy and Blue Emission.

Five cationic iridium(III) complexes with fluorinated cyclometalating tetrazole ligands [Ir(dfptrz)2L]+, where Hdfptrz = 5-(2,4-difluorophenyl)-2-methyl-2H-tetrazole and L = 2,2'-bypiridine (1F), 4,4'-ditert-butyl-2,2'-bipyridine (2F), 1,10-phenantroline (3F), 4,4'-bis(dimethylamino)-2,2'-bipyridine (4F), and tert-butyl isocyanide (5F), were prepared following a one-pot synthetic strategy based on a bis-cyclometalated solvato complex obtained via silver(I)-assisted cyclometalation, which was then reacted with the proper ancillary ligand to get the targeted complexes. The X-ray crystal structures of 2F and 4F were determined, showing that the tetrazole ligands are in a trans arrangement with respect to the iridium center. Electrochemical and photophysical properties, along with density functional theory calculations, allowed a full rationalization of the electronic properties of 1F-5F. In acetonitrile solution at 298 K, complexes 1F-3F, equipped with bipyridine and phenanthroline ligands, exhibit strong vibronically structured luminescence bands in the blue region with photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQYs) in the range 56-76%. This behavior is radically different from the nonfluorinated analogues reported previously, which emits in the green region from 3MLCT excited states. 4F shows relatively strong emission (PLQY = 40%) of charge transfer character centered on the amino-bipyridine ancillary ligand, whereas the emission of 5F is very weak (PLQY = 0.6%), further blue-shifted and attributed to the lowest ligand-centered (3LC) triplet state of the tetrazolyl cyclometalated moiety. A similar photophysical behavior is observed in PMMA at 298 K, whereas in a 77 K matrix, all of the compounds are strong emitters. This novel fluorinated phenyl-tetrazole cyclometalating ligand provides the corresponding iridium(III) complexes with a combination of excited-state energy and redox potentials that make them very promising as photoredox catalysts.

New Photosensitizers Based on Heteroleptic CuI Complexes and CO2 Photocatalytic Reduction with [NiII (cyclam)]Cl2.

Earth-abundant metal complexes have been attracting increasing attention in the field of photo(redox)catalysis. In this work, the synthesis and full characterisation of four new heteroleptic CuI complexes are reported, which can work as photosensitizers. The complexes bear a bulky diphosphine (DPEPhos=bis[(2-diphenylphosphino)phenyl] ether) and a diimine chelating ligand based on 1-benzyl-4-(quinol-2'yl)-1,2,3-triazole. Their absorption has a relative maximum in the visible-light region, up to 450 nm. Thus, their use in photocatalytic systems for the reduction of CO2 with blue light in combination with the known catalyst [NiII (cyclam)]Cl2 was tested. This system produced CO as the main product through visible light (λ=420 nm) with a TON up to 8 after 4 hours. This value is in line with other photocatalytic systems using the same catalyst. Nevertheless, this system is entirely noble-metal free.

1-Methyl-1,4-cyclohexadiene as a Traceless Reducing Agent for the Synthesis of Catechols and Hydroquinones.

Pro-aromatic and volatile 1-methyl-1,4-cyclohexadiene (MeCHD) was used for the first time as a valid H-atom source in an innovative method to reduce ortho or para quinones to obtain the corresponding catechols and hydroquinones in good to excellent yields. Notably, the excess of MeCHD and the toluene formed as the oxidation product can be easily removed by evaporation. In some cases, trifluoroacetic acid as a catalyst was added to obtain the desired products. The reaction proceeds in air and under mild conditions, without metal catalysts and sulfur derivatives, resulting in an excellent and competitive method to reduce quinones. The mechanism is attributed to a radical reaction triggered by a hydrogen atom transfer from MeCHD to quinones, or, in the presence of trifluoroacetic acid, to a hydride transfer process.

Blue-emitting bolaamphiphilic zwitterionic iridium(iii) complex.

Aggregation induced emission is a very interesting phenomenon that recently has attracted a lot of interest. Most of the examples deal with organic molecules or flat metal complexes. Here we demonstrate that, by design, even iridium compounds can display this process without shifting the emission energy. In order to enhance the aggregation properties we have focussed on amphiphilic complexes. We report the synthesis and photophysical characterisation of a blue-emitting bolaamphiphilic zwitterionic Ir(iii) complex and an analogous cationic amphiphilic compound, used as a reference. The bolaamphiphile exhibited blue (λmax = 450 nm) emission in dilute, deaerated solution with a photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 22%, similar to the related cationic amphiphilic complex. The bolaamphiphile displayed significant emission enhancement in the solid state, with an emission quantum yield that reach 52%. Interestingly, the emission of the cationic analogue suffers from aggregation quenching in the solid state, (PLQY = 3%) as is common for these type of complexes. A correlation between the photophysical data and the arrangement in the solid state is discussed.

Carbazole-Terpyridine Donor-Acceptor Dyads with Rigid π-Conjugated Bridges.

A series of molecules in which 9H-carbazole (electron donor, D) and 2,2':6',2''-terpyridine (electron acceptor, A) are connected through rigid π-conjugated bridges (D-π-A systems) have been synthesized and their photophysical properties examined in detail, with the support of DFT calculations. The bridges are made of different sequences of ethynylene, phenylene, and anthracene groups. The synthetic strategies involve condensation of 2-acetylpyridine with the aromatic aldehyde moiety on different functionalized π-conjugated bridges and couplings with carbazole derivatives. The system incorporating anthracene in the bridge shows the typical absorption and emission fingerprints of this polycyclic hydrocarbon. The other systems have HOMOs and LUMOs centred, respectively, over the carbazole and the bridge and exhibit solvatochromic charge-transfer (CT) luminescence with high photoluminescence yield up to 70 %, except when an ethynylene unit is directly attached to the carbazole ring, due to a trans-bent non-emissive π-σ* excited state.

Click-Derived Triazolylidenes as Chelating Ligands: Achievement of a Neutral and Luminescent Iridium(III)-Triazolide Complex.

Versatility in the synthesis of triazole derivatives was exploited to obtain convenient mesoionic carbenes working as chelating or cyclometalating ligands for the preparation of cationic or neutral iridium(III) complexes. We present the synthesis and characterization of three new cationic cyclometalating iridium(III) complexes (1-3-BF4) and a neutral one (4), equipped with functionalized triazolylidene ligands. All the complexes are obtained in good yields, present irreversible or quasi-reversible oxidation and reduction processes, and display good photophysical stability. The complexes emit from 3MLCT or 3LC states, depending on the nature of the ancillary ligand. Compounds 1-3-BF4 display very low photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQY ≈ 1% in acetonitrile solution). Density functional theory calculations show that the luminescence of these three complexes is quenched by the presence of low-lying 3MC states, leading to a reversible detachment of the neutral ancillary ligands from the metal coordination sphere. On the contrary, this nonradiative deactivation pathway is not present in the case of the neutral complex 4, which in fact shows PLQYs above 10% and is the best emitter of the series. Moreover, complex 4 represents the first reported example of a photochemically and thermally stable neutral triazolide iridium(III) complex.

Anionic Cyclometalated Iridium(III) Complexes with a Bis-Tetrazolate Ancillary Ligand for Light-Emitting Electrochemical Cells.

A series of monoanionic Ir(III) complexes (2-4) of general formula [Ir(C^N)2(b-trz)](TBA) are presented, where C^N indicates three different cyclometallating ligands (Hppy = 2-phenylpyridine; Hdfppy = 2-(2,4-difluoro-phenyl)pyridine; Hpqu = 2-methyl-3-phenylquinoxaline), b-trz is a bis-tetrazolate anionic N^N chelator (H2b-trz = di(1H-tetrazol-5-yl)methane), and TBA = tetrabutylammonium. 2-4 are prepared in good yields by means of the reaction of the suitable b-trz bidentate ligand with the desired iridium(III) precursor. The chelating nature of the ancillary ligand, thanks to an optimized structure and geometry, improves the stability of the complexes, which have been fully characterized by NMR spectroscopy and high-resolution MS, while X-ray structure determination confirmed the binding mode of the b-trz ligand. Density functional theory calculations show that the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) are mainly localized on the metal center and the cyclometalating ligands, while the bis-tetrazolate unit does not contribute to the frontier orbitals. By comparison with selected classes of previously published cationic and anionic complexes with high ligand field and even identical cyclometallating moieties, it is shown that the HOMO-LUMO gap is similar, but the absolute energy of the frontier orbitals is remarkably higher for anionic vs cationic compounds, due to electrostatic effects. 2-4 exhibit reversible oxidation and reduction processes, which make them interesting candidates as active materials for light emitting electrochemical cells, along with red, green, and blue emission, thanks to the design of the C^N ligands. Photoluminescence quantum yields range from 28% (4, C^N = pqu, red emitter) to 83% (3, C^N = dfppy, blue emitter) in acetonitrile, with the latter compound reaching 95% in poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) matrix. In thin films, the photoluminescence quantum yield decreases substantially probably due to the small intersite distance between the complexes and the presence of quenching sites. In spite of this, surprisingly stable electroluminescence was observed for devices employing complex 2, demonstrating the robustness of the anionic compounds.

Photoredox radical conjugate addition of dithiane-2-carboxylate promoted by an iridium(iii) phenyl-tetrazole complex: a formal radical methylation of Michael acceptors.

A readily accessible iridium(iii) phenyl-tetrazole complex ([Ir(ptrz)2(tBu-bpy)]+, 2; Hptrz = 2-methyl-5-phenyl-tetrazole; tBu-bpy = 4,4'-di-tert-butyl-2,2'-bipyridine) is shown to be a versatile catalyst for a new photocatalytic Michael reaction. Under light irradiation in the presence of 2, a dithiane 2-carboxylic acid, obtained by simple hydrolysis of a commercially available ethyl ester, generates a 1,3-dithiane radical capable of performing addition to a variety of Michael acceptors (e.g., unsaturated ketones, esters, amides and malonates). This broad scope reaction with high yields is a formal photo-redox addition of the elusive methyl radical and the adducts obtained can be starting materials for a variety of functionalized products. The excited-state oxidation potential of catalyst 2 allows selective formation of radicals only from α-heterosubstituted carboxylates. Chemical modification of this metal complex can tune the electrochemical properties, opening a route to new highly selective catalytic photo-oxidation reactions.