Stimuli-Induced Fluorescence Switching in Azine-Containing Fluorophores Displaying Resonance-Stabilized ESIPT Emission.

This article reports the synthesis, along with structural and photophysical characterization of 2-(2'-hydroxyphenyl)benzazole derivatives functionalized with various azaheterocycles (pyridine, pyrimidine, terpyridine). These compounds show dual-state emission properties, that is intense fluorescence both in solution and in the solid-state with a range of fluorescent color going from blue to orange. Moreover, the nature of their excited state can be tuned by the presence of external stimuli such as protons or metal cations. In the absence of stimuli, these dyes show emission stemming from anionic species obtained after deprotonation (D* transition), whereas upon protonation or metal chelation, ESIPT process occurs leading to a stabilized and highly emissive K* transition. With the help of extensive ab initio calculations, we confirm that external stimuli can switch the nature of the transitions, making this series of dyes attractive candidates for the development of stimuli-responsive fluorescent ratiometric probes.

Photoluminescence of Platinum(II) Complexes with Diazine-Based Ligands.

In the last past twenty years, research on luminescent platinum (II) complexes has been intensively developed for useful application such as organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). More recently, new photoluminescent complexes based on diazine ligands (pyrimidine, pyrazine, pyridazine, quinazoline and quinoxaline) have been developed in this context. This review will summarize the photophysical properties of most of the phosphorescent diazine Pt(II) complexes described in the literature and compare the results to pyridine analogues whenever possible. Based on the emission color, and the photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) values, the relationship between structure modification, and photophysical properties are highlighted. Tuning of emission color, quantum yields in solution and solid state and, for some complexes, aggregation induced emission (AIE) or thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) properties are described. When emitting OLEDs have been built from diazine Pt(II) complexes, the external quantum efficiency (EQE) values and luminance for different emission wavelengths and in some cases, chromaticity coordinates obtained from devices, are given. Finally, this review highlights the growing interest in studies of new luminescent diazine Pt(II) complexes for OLED applications.

Exploring structural and optical properties of a new series of soft salts based on cyclometalated platinum complexes.

A series of nine new soft salts based on two platinum(II) complexes, namely ([Pt(C^N)(CN)2]-[Pt(C^N)(en)]+) (en = ethane-1,2-diamine), has been developed and synthesized. Their photophysical properties in both solution and the solid state were described. All soft salt complexes exhibit phosphorescence emission with PLQY in the solid state up to 0.36. Most of these materials displayed aggregation-induced emission (AIE) or aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AIEE) in water/DMSO solutions as the water ratio increased. Structure-property relationships were analyzed in relation to emission properties. The presence of the free nitrogen atoms in soft salt complexes with a C^N pyrimidine-based ligand allowed for reversible sensitivity to acidic vapors, resulting in the quenching of phosphorescence emission. Additionally, for selected soft salts, we described reversible vapochromism behaviour, making these new materials interesting for multi-detection purposes in anti-counterfeiting applications.

Styrylpyrimidine chromophores with bulky electron-donating substituents: experimental and theoretical investigation.

Styrylpyrimidines with bulky 9,9-dimethylacridan, phenoxazine and phenothiazine electron-donating fragments were designed. Thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) properties were expected for these structures. These chromophores exhibit peculiar emission properties. For 9,9-dimethylacridan and phenoxazine derivatives, a single emission highly sensitive to the polarity is observed in solution whereas for phenothiazine derivative a dual emission is observed in solution and is attributed to the coexistence of quasi-axial (Qax) and quasi-equatorial (Qeq) conformers. This study intends to understand through theoretical and experimental works, why the studied chromophores do not exhibit TADF properties, contrary to what was expected. The absence of phosphorescence both at room temperature and 77 K tends to indicate the impossibility to harvest triplet states in these systems. Wave-function based calculations show that for both conformers of the three chromophores the S1-T1 splitting is significantly larger than 0.2 eV. The second triplet state T2 of Qeq conformers is found very close in energy to the singlet S1 state, but S1 and T2 states possess similar charge transfer characters. This prevents efficient spin-orbit coupling between the states, which is consistent with the absence of TADF.

Phosphorescent cyclometalated platinum(II) complexes with phenyldiazine N

A series of phosphorescent platinum(II) complexes containing various phenyldiazine-type bidentate N^C ligands have been successfully synthesized and characterized. Structural modifications have been made to bidentate cyclometalating ligands regarding the nature of the diazine ring (pyrimidine, pyrazine and quinazoline), the substituent groups at the C4 position of the pyrimidine ring (OCH3, CF3) and the EDGs at the para position of the Pt atom (OCH3, Ph, NPh2, carbazol). In addition, the electronic properties of the azaheterocyclic ancillary ligand have been modulated in this series of complexes (pyridine, 4-methoxy-pyridine or pyrimidine). X-ray diffraction studies have been performed on three complexes, revealing Pt(II) ions in a distorted square-planar geometrical environment with no Pt(II)⋯Pt(II) interactions but with moderate π-π interactions in the solid-state structure. Electrochemical and computational studies suggest a ligand-centered reduction on the diazine ligands with, in some cases, additional contribution from the azaheterocyclic ancillary ligand, whereas oxidation occurs on the Pt-phenyl ring substituent moieties. All complexes exhibit phosphorescence emission ranging from green to red/near-infrared, both in solution and in the solid state. Complexes bearing a 2-(3-methoxyphenyl)pyrimidine ligand show the best PLQY of the series, up to 52% in a CH2Cl2 solution and 20% in the solid state. Furthermore, the solid state PLQY of one of the near-infrared emitting phenylquinazoline complex has been found to be 6%.

The arylvinylpyrimidine scaffold: a tunable platform for luminescent and optical materials.

The incorporation of electron-withdrawing pyrimidine rings within π-extended systems allows access to a wide variety of fluorescent push-pull molecules that display emission properties highly sensitive to external stimuli. A suitable design of these compounds leads to interesting materials for a variety of optoelectronic applications. In this context, a vast number of arylvinylpyrimidine-based chromophores have been extensively studied during the last two decades. Along with the main synthetic pathways, this review summarizes the photophysical features of these active compounds having great potential and their most important applications as sensors and luminescence materials.

Push-Pull Derivatives Based on 2,4'-Biphenylene Linker with Quinoxaline, [1,2,5]Oxadiazolo[3,4-B]Pyrazine and [1,2,5]Thiadiazolo[3,4-B]Pyrazine Electron Withdrawing Parts.

A series of novel V-shaped quinoxaline, [1,2,5]oxadiazolo[3,4-b]pyrazine and [1,2,5]thiadiazolo[3,4-b]pyrazine push-pull derivatives with 2,4'-biphenylene linker were designed and their electrochemical, photophysical and nonlinear optical properties were investigated. [1,2,5]Oxadiazolo[3,4-b]pyrazine is the stronger electron-withdrawing fragment as shown by electrochemical, and photophysical data. All compounds are emissive in a solid-state (from the cyan to red region of the spectrum) and quinoxaline derivatives are emissions in DCM solution. It has been found that quinoxaline derivatives demonstrate important solvatochromism and extra-large Stokes shifts, characteristic of twisted intramolecular charge transfer excited state as well as aggregation induced emission. The experimental conclusions have been justified by theoretical (TD-)DFT calculations.

Excited-State Intramolecular Proton Transfer in 2-(2'-Hydroxyphenyl)pyrimidines: Synthesis, Optical Properties, and Theoretical Studies.

The development of fluorescence materials with switched on/off emission has attracted great attention owing to the potential application of these materials in chemical sensing. In this work, the photophysical properties of a series of original 2-(2'-hydroxyphenyl)pyrimidines were thoroughly studied. The compounds were prepared by following well-established and straightforward methodologies and showed very little or null photoluminescence both in solution and in the solid state. This absence of emission can be explained by a fast proton transfer from the OH group to the nitrogen atoms of the pyrimidine ring to yield an excited tautomer that deactivates through a nonradiative pathway. The key role of the OH group in the emission quenching was demonstrated by the preparation of 2'-unsubstituted derivatives, all of which exhibited violet or blue luminescence. Single crystals of some compounds suitable for an X-ray diffraction analysis could be obtained, which permitted us to investigate inter- and intramolecular interactions and molecular packing structures. The protonation of the pyrimidine ring by an addition of trifluoroacetic acid inhibited the excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) process, causing a reversible switch on fluorescence response detectable by the naked eye. This acidochromic behavior allows 2-(2'-hydroxyphenyl)pyrimidines to be used as solid-state acid-base vapor sensors and anticounterfeiting agents. Extensive density functional theory and its time-dependent counterpart calculations at the M06-2X/6-31+G** level of theory were performed to rationalize all the experimental results and understand the impact of protonation on the different optical transitions.

Luminescent cyclometalated alkynylplatinum(II) complexes with 1,3-di(pyrimidin-2-yl)benzene ligands: synthesis, electrochemistry, photophysics and computational studies.

In this article, we report on a series of cyclometalated chloro- and alkynyl-platinum(II) complexes bearing various tridentate N^C^N-cyclometalated ligands derived from 1,3-bis(pyrimidin-2-yl)benzene. The X-ray crystal structures of two alkynyl-platinum(II) complexes were determined and other structures were DFT-calculated. Electrochemical and DFT-computational studies suggest a ligand-centred reduction on the R1-substituted N^C^N ligand, whereas oxidation likely occurs either on the Pt-phenylacetylide moiety and/or the cyclometalated ligand. In CH2Cl2 solution at room temperature, the complexes show phosphorescent emissions ranging from green to orange, depending on the R1 and R2 substituents on the ligands. In KBr solid state matrix, excluding complexes bearing a trifluoromethyl substituted ligand, all compounds exhibit red emission. The presence of an alkynyl ancillary ligand has limited influence on absorption and emission spectra except in the case of the complex with the strongly electron-donating diphenylamino R2 substituent on the alkynyl ligand, for which a significant red-shift was observed. The alkynyl Pt(II) complex with OMe groups as both R1 and R2 substituents shows the best emission quantum yield (0.81 in CH2Cl2 solution) in this series. The full series of DFT calculated band gaps correlated generally well with the electrochemical and absorption data and reasonably model the impact of the substituents on the electronics of these complexes.

V-Shaped Methylpyrimidinium Chromophores for Nonlinear Optics.

A series of four V-shaped methylpyrimidinium salts bearing diphenylamino-electron-donating groups appended at various pyrimidine positions were designed. These chromophores were obtained by regioselective N(1) monomethylation by methyl methanesulfonate of the pyrimidine core. Linear optical properties were studied experimentally and electronic properties were further completed by (TD)-DFT calculations. The second-order nonlinear optical (NLO) properties were also studied using electric field induced second harmonic generation (EFISH) method in chloroform, and all pyrimidinium salts exhibited µß0 >1000×10-48  esu. The 2,4-disubstituted pyrimidinium core is preferred over 4,6-disubstitution as it enhances the NLO response and increases the dipole moment. (E,E)-2,4-Bis[4-(diphenylamino)styryl]-1-methylpyrimidin-1-ium methanesulfonate appears to be the best NLO-phore in chloroform in the series (µß0 =2500×10-48  esu) and a figure of merit µß0 /MW=3.4 10-48  esu mol g-1 .

Investigation of second-order nonlinear optical responses in a series of V-shaped binuclear platinum(ii) complexes.

A series of four D-(π-Pt-π-A)2 new V-shaped binuclear platinum(ii) complexes bearing a diphenylpyranylidene ligand as a pro-aromatic donor group (D) and various electron-attracting groups (A) separated by platinum bis-acetylide fragments have been synthesized, characterized and studied for their electrochemical, photophysical and second-order nonlinear optical (NLO) properties. The nonlinear optical properties of these complexes have been determined by using the Electric-Field-Induced Second Harmonic (EFISH) generation technique, and their optical properties have been rationalized by Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory (TD-DFT) calculations relying on a range-separated hybrid. All complexes display positive µß0 values. In addition, the second-order NLO responses of the complexes could be easily modulated by incorporating various end-capped electron-attracting groups, namely malononitrile, indane-1,3-dione, pyrimidine and pyrimidinium. Remarkably, complex 7 bearing a pyrimidinium fragment displays the highest µß0 value among all the complexes of this series. Its NLO response is twice as high as that of the mononuclear analogue complex RD2, which has been confirmed both experimentally and theoretically.

Amino-substituted-1,1-dicyano-2,4-diaryl-1,3-butadiene chromophores: Synthesis and photophysical properties.

A series of D-π-A chromophores based on allylidenemalononitrile electron-withdrawing group was designed. The influence of the amino-electron-donating group on the photophysical properties was studied. These compounds, highly thermally stable, exhibit orange-red emission in solution and in solid state. The experimental results have been rationalized by theoretical DFT calculations. The second order nonlinear optical properties were also studied using the electric field induced second harmonic generation (EFISH) method.

Photophysics of 9,9-Dimethylacridan-Substituted Phenylstyrylpyrimidines Exhibiting Long-Lived Intramolecular Charge-Transfer Fluorescence and Aggregation-Induced Emission Characteristics.

Six pyrimidine-based push-pull systems substituted at positions C2 and C4/6 with phenylacridan and styryl moieties, employing methoxy or N,N-diphenylamino donors, have been designed and synthesized through cross-coupling and Knoevenagel reactions. X-ray analysis confirmed that the molecular structure featured the acridan moiety arranged perpendicularly to the residual π system. Photophysical studies revealed significant differences between the methoxy and N,N-diphenylamino chromophores. Solvatochromic studies revealed that the methoxy derivatives showed dual emission in polar solvents. Time-resolved spectroscopy revealed that the higher energy band involved very fast (<80 ps) fluorescence, whereas the lower energy one included long components (≈30 ns) due to long-lived intramolecular charge-transfer fluorescence. In contrast to N,N-diphenylamino chromophores, the methoxy derivatives also showed aggregation-induced emission in mixtures of THF/water, as well as dual emission in thin films, covering almost the whole visible spectrum with corresponding chromaticity coordinates not far from that of pure white light. These properties render the methoxy derivatives as very promising organic materials for white organic light-emitting diodes.

Push-Pull (Iso)quinoline Chromophores: Synthesis, Photophysical Properties, and Use for White-Light Emission.

The photophysical properties of a series of conjugated push-pull (iso)quinolines were studied. The compounds were synthesized by well-established and straightforward methodologies. The materials exhibited not only emission solvatochromism in a variety of nonpolar solvents, but also tunable halochromism. Some of the compounds remained moderately luminescent after protonation and had a red emissive form, which was used to obtain white-light emission, both in solution and in thin films, by controlled protonation of the initially blue-green-emitting materials. This methodology has potential applications in the fabrication of white organic light-emitting diodes with two forms of a single emitter in equilibrium.

Branching effect on the linear and nonlinear optical properties of styrylpyrimidines.

This contribution aims at investigating the branching effect on the steady state, time resolved fluorescence and two-photon absorption (2PA) properties of dimethylamino and diphenylamino substituted styrylpyrimidine derivatives, by means of a combined experimental and theoretical study. In contrast to classical branched molecules with a triphenylamine central core and electron accepting groups at the periphery, here, branched molecules with reverse topology and different symmetries are examined, namely a styrylpyrimidine group is used as the electron withdrawing core and dimethylamino or diphenylamino donors are incorporated at the periphery. Besides, compared to the great majority of existing branched systems, the herein studied molecules do not have C3 symmetry. For this reason, the region of the linear and non-linear optical spectra of the two and three branched chromophores is actually similar. Interestingly, while the one-photon absorption spectra of one-branched systems versus two- or three-branched ones are spectrally shifted, there is almost no spectral shift in the main 2PA spectral region. Meanwhile, there is still an enhancement of both linear and nonlinear optical responses. Overall, here we developed a strategy that enhances the 2PA response while maintaining the spectral position. Specifically, 2PA cross section values as high as 500 GM have been obtained for the diphenylamino A-(π-D)3 molecule in dichloromethane.

Tuning the Photophysical Properties of Push-Pull Azaheterocyclic Chromophores by Protonation: A Brief Overview of a French-Spanish-Czech Project.

Conjugated push-pull molecules that incorporate nitrogen heterocycles as electron-withdrawing units are interesting materials because of their luminescence properties. These chromophores can be easily and reversibly protonated at the nitrogen atom of the heterocyclic ring and this can cause dramatic color changes. White and multi-color photoluminescence both in solution and in the solid state can be obtained by an accurate control of the amount of acid. Thus, with a suitable design these compounds have potential applications in the development of colorimetric pH sensors and the fabrication of OLEDs based on only one material. We provide here a brief overview of our collaborative efforts made in this area.

Porosity-driven large amplitude dynamics for nitroaromatic sensing with fluorescent films of alternating D-π-A molecules.

We report herein the structural properties and nitroaromatic sensing performances of fluorescent thin films formed by alternating donor-acceptor π-conjugated chromophores. The incorporation of a flexible one-dimensional alkyl chain in the chromophore backbone drastically accelerates by more than one order of magnitude the sensing dynamics for the detection of 2,4-dinitrotoluene (DNT) vapors.

Carbazole- and Triphenylamine-Substituted Pyrimidines: Synthesis and Photophysical Properties.

A series of pyrimidine derivatives bearing one, two or three triphenylamine/9-ethylcarbazole substituents has been synthesized by Suzuki cross-coupling reaction. All compounds showed absorption bands in the UV region and the emission of violet-blue light upon irradiation. Protonation led to quenching of the fluorescence, although some derivatives remained luminescent with the appearance of a new red-shifted band in the spectra. Accurate control of the amount of acid enabled white photoluminescence to be obtained both in solution and in solid state.

Selectivity of Terpyridine Platinum Anticancer Drugs for G-quadruplex DNA.

Guanine-rich DNA can form four-stranded structures called G-quadruplexes (G4s) that can regulate many biological processes. Metal complexes have shown high affinity and selectivity toward the quadruplex structure. Here, we report the comparison of a panel of platinum (II) complexes for quadruplex DNA selective recognition by exploring the aromatic core around terpyridine derivatives. Their affinity and selectivity towards G4 structures of various topologies have been evaluated by FRET-melting (Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfert-melting) and Fluorescent Intercalator Displacement (FID) assays, the latter performed by using three different fluorescent probes (Thiazole Orange (TO), TO-PRO-3, and PhenDV). Their ability to bind covalently to the c-myc G4 structure in vitro and their cytotoxicity potential in two ovarian cancerous cell lines were established. Our results show that the aromatic surface of the metallic ligands governs, in vitro, their affinity, their selectivity for the G4 over the duplex structures, and platination efficiency. However, the structural modifications do not allow significant discrimination among the different G4 topologies. Moreover, all compounds were tested on ovarian cancer cell lines and normal cell lines and were all able to overcome cisplatin resistance highlighting their interest as new anticancer drugs.

Photophysical and Protonation Time Resolved Studies of Donor-Acceptor Branched Systems With Pyridine Acceptors.

A comparative study of the photophysical properties of octupolar pyridyl-terminated triphenylamine molecule, with its quadrupolar and dipolar analogues, by means of ambient and low temperature steady state spectroscopy and femtosecond to nanosecond time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy is reported. The push-pull molecules bear triphenylamine electron donating core, pyridine peripheral electron acceptors, and acetylene π-bridge. The samples were studied in solvents of varying polarity and also upon addition of small amounts of acetic acid to induce protonation of the pyridine group. All samples exhibit significant positive fluorescence solvatochromism as well as a relaxation of their excited state to a solvent relaxed intramolecular charge transfer state on the picosecond time scale. For the octupolar compound, excited state relaxation occurs simultaneously with excitation energy hopping among the branches. The hopping time is solvent polarity controlled since it becomes slower as the polarity increases. The experimental hopping times are compared to those predicted by Förster and Fermi formulations. The samples are capable of emitting broadband light covering almost the whole visible spectrum by careful control of protonation. Energy transfer from the neutral toward the protonated species on the 1 ps time scale is revealed.