title: Heteroleptic Cycloplatinated N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes: A New Approach to Highly Efficient Blue-Light Emitters.
abstract: New heteroleptic compounds of platinum(II)-containing cyclometalated N-heterocyclic carbenes, [PtCl(R-C^C*)(PPh3)] [R-CH^C*-κC* = 3-methyl-1-(naphthalen-2-yl)-1H-imidazol-2-ylidene (R-C = Naph; 1A), 1-[4-(ethoxycarbonyl)phenyl]-3-methyl-1H-imidazol-2-ylidene (R = CO2Et; 1B), and [Pt(R-C^C*)(py)(PPh3)]PF6(py = pyridine; R-C = Naph, 2A; R = CO2Et, 2B], have been prepared and fully characterized. All of them were obtained as the trans-(C*,PPh3) isomer in high yields. The selectivity of their synthesis has been explained in terms of the degree of transphobia (T) of pairs of ligands in trans positions. X-ray diffraction studies on both 2A and 2B revealed that only in 2A, containing a C^C* with a more extended π system, do the molecules assemble themselves into head-to-tail pairs through intermolecular π···π contacts. The photophysical properties of 2A and 2B and those of the related compounds [Pt(NC-C^C*)(PPh3)L]PF6[NC-CH^C*-κC* = 1-(4-cyanophenyl)-3-methyl-1H-imidazol-2-ylidene; L = pyridine (py; 2C), 2,6-dimethylphenylisocyanide (CNXyl; 3C), and 2-mercapto-1-methylimidazole (MMI; 4C)] have been examined to analyze the influence of the R substituent on R-C^C* (R-C = Naph; R = CO2Et, CN) and that of the ancillary ligands (L) on them. Experimental data and time-dependent density functional theory calculations showed the similarity of the electronic features associated with R-C^C* (R = CN, CO2Et) and their difference with respect to R-C^C* (R-C = Naph). All of the compounds are very efficient blue emitters in poly(methyl methacrylate) films under an argon atmosphere, with QY values ranging from 68% (2B) to 93% (2C). In the solid state, the color of the emission changes to yellowish-orange for compounds 2A (λmax= 600 nm) and 3C (λmax= 590 nm) because of the formation of aggregates through intermolecular π···π interactions. 2C and 3C were chosen to fabricate fully solution-processed electroluminescent devices with blue-light (2C), yellow-orange-light (3C), and white-light (mixtures of 2C and 3C) emission from neat films of the compounds as emitting layers.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Facultad de Ciencias, Instituto de Síntesis Química y Catálisis Homogénea, CSIC, Universidad de Zaragoza , Pedro Cerbuna 12, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fuertes
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Facultad de Ciencias, Instituto de Síntesis Química y Catálisis Homogénea, CSIC, Universidad de Zaragoza , Pedro Cerbuna 12, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Andrés J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Chueca
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Facultad de Ciencias, Instituto de Síntesis Química y Catálisis Homogénea, CSIC, Universidad de Zaragoza , Pedro Cerbuna 12, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Arnal
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Facultad de Ciencias, Instituto de Síntesis Química y Catálisis Homogénea, CSIC, Universidad de Zaragoza , Pedro Cerbuna 12, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4808-574X
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martín
authors.affiliation: Istituto per lo Studio delle Macromolecole, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) , Via Corti 12, 20133 Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Giovanella
authors.affiliation: Istituto per lo Studio delle Macromolecole, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR) , Via Corti 12, 20133 Milano, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8722-0417
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Botta
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Escuela de Ingeniería y Arquitectura de Zaragoza, Instituto de Síntesis Química y Catálisis Homogénea, CSIC, Universidad de Zaragoza , Campus Río Ebro, Edificio Torres Quevedo, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: Violeta
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0257-0483
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sicilia