title: Heteroleptic Ir(III) complexes based on 2-(2,4-difluorophenyl)-pyridine and bisthienylethene: structures, luminescence and photochromic properties.
abstract: Two bisthienylethenes 2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-4,5-bis[2,5-dimethyl(3-thienyl)]-1H-imidazole (L1H) and 2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-4,5-bis(2,5-dimethyl(3-thienyl))-1-phenyl-imidazole (L2H), which have a chelating N,O-donor binding site attached to the photochromic core, have been synthesized using a one-pot condensation reaction, and used to prepare the heteroleptic complexes [Ir(dfppy)2(L1)]·2CH3OH (1) and [Ir(dfppy)2(L2)] (2) [dfppyH = 2-(2,4-difluorophenyl)-pyridine]. In the crystal structures of all four compounds, two thiophene groups of each bisthienylethene molecule adopt parallel conformation. Neighboring molecules in L1H and 1 are linked into supramolecular chains through hydrogen bonds. Particularly, the packing structure of 1 contains right- and left-handed 2₁ helical chains. In contrast, neighboring molecules in L2H and 2 interact only through van der Waals interactions. At room temperature, L1H and L2H in CH2Cl2 show fluorescence emission at 442 nm and 469 nm, respectively. Compounds 1 and 2 in CH2Cl2 reveal broad emission band characteristics of the Ir(III)/dfppy(-) chromophores at 508 nm and 494 nm, respectively, with a mixing of (3)MLCT and (3)LC characters. At room temperature, the photochromism ability of L2H in CH2Cl2 is clearly weaker than that of L1H. Moreover, no photochromism has been observed in 1 and 2. It has been demonstrated that both the substituent group and {Ir(dfppy)2}(+) coordination could significantly influence the crystal structures, luminescence and photochromic properties of L1H, L2H, 1 and 2.
authors: State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Coordination Chemistry Institute, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, P. R. China. dkcao@nju.edu.cn.
authors: Deng-Ke
authors: DK
authors: Cao
authors: Ruo-Hong
authors: RH
authors: Wei
authors: Xiao-Xiong
authors: XX
authors: Li
authors: Jun-Feng
authors: JF
authors: Chen
authors: Michael D
authors: MD
authors: Ward