Precise Large-Scale Chemical Transformations on Surfaces: Deep Learning Meets Scanning Probe Microscopy with Interpretability.

Scanning probe microscopy (SPM) techniques have shown great potential in fabricating nanoscale structures endowed with exotic quantum properties achieved through various manipulations of atoms and molecules. However, precise control requires extensive domain knowledge, which is not necessarily transferable to new systems and cannot be readily extended to large-scale operations. Therefore, efficient and autonomous SPM techniques are needed to learn optimal strategies for new systems, in particular for the challenge of controlling chemical reactions and hence offering a route to precise atomic and molecular construction.

Coordinative Self-assembly of π-Electron Magnetic Porphyrins.

π-Electron magnetic compounds on surfaces have emerged as a powerful platform to interrogate spin interactions at the atomic scale, with great potential in spintronics and quantum technologies. A key challenge is organizing these compounds over large length scales, while elucidating their resulting magnetic properties. Herein, we offer a relevant contribution toward this objective, which consists of using on-surface synthesis coupled with coordination chemistry to promote the self-assembly of π-electron magnetic porphyrin species.

Enhancing the Cumulene Character of One-Dimensional Acetylene-Based Systems by Stimuli-Induced Planarization of Their Two Pro-diradicaloid Cyclopenta[h,i]aceanthrylene Units.

Acetylene/polyynes -(C≡C-) and cumulenes =(C=) are connectors widely used for the realization of one-dimensional (1D) π-conjugates. Although both π-moieties are constituted by sp carbon atoms, their different bond connectivity confers distinct physicochemical properties to the resulting systems. In this context, while many acetylene/polyyne- and cumulene-based derivatives have been prepared and studied, no reports have tackled the possibility to reversibly alter the acetylene/polyyne-cumulene electronic character of these derivatives using mild conditions.

Magnetic Interplay between π-Electrons of Open-Shell Porphyrins and d-Electrons of Their Central Transition Metal Ions.

Magnetism is typically associated with d- or f-block elements, but can also appear in organic molecules with unpaired π-electrons. This has considerably boosted the interest in such organic materials with large potential for spintronics and quantum applications. While several materials showing either d/f or π-electron magnetism have been synthesized, the combination of both features within the same structure has only scarcely been reported.

Ultrastrong Exciton-Photon Coupling in Broadband Solar Absorbers.

The recent development of organic polaritonic solar cells, in which sunlight absorbers and photon modes of a resonator are hybridized as a result of their strong coupling, has revealed the potential this interaction offers to control and enhance the performance of these devices. In this approach, the photovoltaic cell is built in such a way that it also behaves as an optical cavity supporting spectrally well-defined resonances, which match the broad absorption bands of the dyes employed. Herein we focus on the experimental and theoretical analysis of the specific spectral and angular optical absorption characteristics of a broadband light harvester, namely a subphthalocyanine, when operating in the ultrastrong coupling regime.

Expanding the Chemical Space of Tetracyanobuta-1,3-diene (TCBD) through a Cyano-Diels-Alder Reaction: Synthesis, Structure, and Physicochemical Properties of an Anthryl-fused-TCBD Derivative.

Tetracyanobuta-1,3-diene (TCBD) is a powerful and versatile electron-acceptor moiety widely used for the preparation of electroactive conjugates. While many reports addressing its electron-accepting capability have appeared in the literature, significantly scarcer are those dealing with its chemical modification, a relevant topic which allows to broaden the chemical space of this interesting functional unit. Here, we report on the first example of a high-yielding cyano-Diels-Alder (CDA) reaction between TCBD, that is, where a nitrile group acts as a dienophile, and an anthryl moiety, that is, acting as a diene.

On-surface synthesis of singly and doubly porphyrin-capped graphene nanoribbon segments.

On-surface synthesis has emerged as a powerful tool for the construction of large, planar, π-conjugated structures that are not accessible through standard solution chemistry. Among such solid-supported architectures, graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) hold a prime position for their implementation in nanoelectronics due to their manifold outstanding properties. Moreover, using appropriately designed molecular precursors, this approach allows the synthesis of functionalized GNRs, leading to nanostructured hybrids with superior physicochemical properties.

Bottom-up Fabrication and Atomic-Scale Characterization of Triply Linked, Laterally π-Extended Porphyrin Nanotapes*.

Porphyrin nanotapes (Por NTs) are promising structures for their use as molecular wires thanks to a high degree of π-conjugation, low HOMO-LUMO gaps, and exceptional conductance. Such structures have been prepared in solution, but their on-surface synthesis remains unreported. Here, meso-meso triply fused Por NTs have been prepared through a two-step synthesis on Au(111).

Inducing Open-Shell Character in Porphyrins through Surface-Assisted Phenalenyl π-Extension.

Organic open-shell compounds are extraordinarily attractive materials for their use in molecular spintronics thanks to their long spin-relaxation times and structural flexibility. Porphyrins (Pors) have widely been used as molecular platforms to craft persistent open-shell structures through solution-based redox chemistry. However, very few examples of inherently open-shell Pors have been reported, which are typically obtained through the fusion of non-Kekulé polyaromatic hydrocarbon moieties to the Por core.

Enabling Racemization of Axially Chiral Subphthalocyanine-Tetracyanobutadiene-Aniline Enantiomers by Triplet State Photogeneration.

In recent years, several tetracyanobuta-1,3-diene (TCBD) conjugates have been prepared by linking the tetracyano unit to various electroactive moieties. These push-pull conjugates, besides showing interesting physicochemical properties, are axially chiral, a feature arising from the restricted rotation around the central bond of the butadiene. Yet, only in a few cases, separation and isolation of the enantiomers have been successfully achieved, owing to the configurational lability of the corresponding enantiopure species.

Synthesis and Optical Features of Axially and Peripherally Substituted Subporphyrins. A Paradigmatic Example of Charge Transfer versus Exciplex States.

We report here the synthesis of two novel subporphyrins (SubPs), in which the macrocycle has been functionalized at its () or axial () position with tetracyanobuta-1,3-diene (TCBD)-aniline. In-depth spectroscopic, spectrometric, and electrochemical analyses were carried out with both of them, whose molecular structures were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. In the case of , its and enantiomers were separable by chiral HPLC and presented a fairly good configurational stability at room temperature, which enabled determining the activation parameters for the thermally induced racemization.

Subphthalocyanine-tetracyanobuta-1,3-diene-aniline conjugates: stereoisomerism and photophysical properties.

Two subphthalocyanines (SubPcs) decorated at their peripheral (SubPc ) or peripheral and axial (SubPc ) positions with tetracyanobuta-1,3-diene (TCBD)-aniline moieties have been prepared as novel electron donor-acceptor (D-A) conjugates. In and , the multiple functionalization of -symmetric SubPcs by TCBD moieties, each of them having a chiral axis, results in the formation of several stereoisomers. Variable temperature H-NMR studies in chlorinated solvents suggest that these latter species, which are detected at low temperatures, rapidly interconvert - on the NMR timescale - into each other at room temperature.

On-Surface Synthesis and Characterization of Triply Fused Porphyrin-Graphene Nanoribbon Hybrids.

On-surface synthesis offers a versatile approach to prepare novel carbon-based nanostructures that cannot be obtained by conventional solution chemistry. Graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) have potential for a variety of applications. A key issue for their application in molecular electronics is in the fine-tuning of their electronic properties through structural modifications, such as heteroatom doping or the incorporation of non-benzenoid rings.

Quadrupolar Cyclopenta[hi]aceanthrylene-Based Electron Donor-Acceptor-Donor Conjugates: Charge Transfer versus Charge Separation.

Cyclopenta[hi]aceanthrylenes (CPAs) have been functionalized at two of the peripheral positions with electronically inert trimethylsilylethynyl (1), as well as with electron-donating 4-ethynyl-N,N-dimethylaniline (2), ethynyl Zn phthalocyanine (3), and ethynyl Zn porphyrin (4) units. Consistent with X-ray crystal structures of 2 and 4, analyses of absorption and fluorescence of 2-4 point to strong electronic communication between the CPA and the peripheral units, affording quadrupolar electron donor-acceptor-donor charge-transfer conjugates. By virtue of their quadrupolar/dipolar charge-transfer characters in the excited state, 2-4 exhibit fluoro-solvatochromism.

Long-Range Orientational Self-Assembly, Spatially Controlled Deprotonation, and Off-Centered Metalation of an Expanded Porphyrin.

Expanded porphyrins are large-cavity macrocycles with enormous potential in coordination chemistry, anion sensing, photodynamic therapy, and optoelectronics. In the last two decades, the surface science community has assessed the physicochemical properties of tetrapyrrolic-like macrocycles. However, to date, the sublimation, self-assembly and atomistic insights of expanded porphyrins on surfaces have remained elusive.

Chemical functionalization and characterization of graphene-based materials.

Graphene-based materials (GBMs), with graphene, their most known member, at the head, constitute a large family of materials which has aroused the interest of scientists working in different research fields such as chemistry, physics, or materials science, to mention a few, arguably as no other material before. In this review, we offer a general overview on the most relevant synthetic approaches for the covalent and non-covalent functionalization and characterization of GBMs. Moreover, some representative examples of the incorporation into GBMs of electroactive units such as porphyrins, phthalocyanines, or ferrocene, among others, affording electron donor-acceptor (D-A) hybrids are presented.

Pyridyl- and Picolinic Acid Substituted Zinc(II) Phthalocyanines for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells.

A series of tri-tert-butyl zinc(II) phthalocyanines (Pcs) substituted with pyridyl, carboxyl, or picolinic acid anchoring groups on the periphery were prepared. Photovoltaic (PV) studies on these dyes were carried out revealing some interesting features. In the case of the pyridyl-substituted Pcs, the PV properties were found to depend strongly on the the pyridyl substitution pattern (meta or para) and the number of pyridyl units at the macrocycle's periphery (one or two).

Subphthalocyanines Axially Substituted with a Tetracyanobuta-1,3-diene-Aniline Moiety: Synthesis, Structure, and Physicochemical Properties.

A 1,1,4,4-tetracyanobuta-1,3-diene (TCBD)-aniline moiety has been introduced, for the first time, at the axial position of two subphthalocyanines (SubPcs) peripherally substituted with hydrogen (HSubPc) or fluorine atoms (FSubPc). Single-crystal X-ray analysis of both SubPc-TCBD-aniline systems showed that each conjugate is a racemic mixture of two atropisomers resulting from the almost orthogonal geometry adopted by the axial TCBD unit, which were separated by chiral high-performance liquid chromatography. Remarkably, the single-crystal X-ray structure of one atropisomer of each SubPc-TCBD-aniline conjugate has been solved, allowing to unambiguously assign the atropisomers' absolute configuration, something, to the best of our knowledge, unprecedented in TCBD-based conjugates.

Reaction of [TpRh(C2 H4 )2 ] with Dimethyl Acetylenedicarboxylate: Identification of Intermediates of the [2+2+2] Alkyne and Alkyne-Ethylene Cyclo(co)trimerizations.

The reaction between the bis(ethylene) complex [TpRh(C2 H4 )2 ], 1, (Tp=hydrotris(pyrazolyl)borate), and dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate (DMAD) has been studied under different experimental conditions. A mixture of products was formed, in which TpRh(I) species were prevalent, whereas the presence of trapping agents, like water or acetonitrile, allowed for the stabilization and isolation of octahedral TpRh(III) compounds. An excess of DMAD gave rise to a small amount of the [2+2+2] cyclotrimerization product hexamethyl mellitate (6).

Regio-, Stereo-, and Atropselective Synthesis of C60 Fullerene Bisadducts by Supramolecular-Directed Functionalization.

The regio- and stereocontrolled synthesis of fullerene bisadducts is a topic of increasing interest in fullerene chemistry and a key point for the full exploitation of these derivatives in materials science. In this context, while the tether-directed remote functionalization strategy offers a valid approach to this synthetic challenge, no examples of such control have yet been reported using nontethered species. Presented here is a conceptually novel, supramolecular-directed functionalization approach in which noncovalent interactions between untethered residues have been used, for the first time, to amplify (>2800-fold) the regio-, stereo-, and atropselective formation of a C60 fullerene bisadduct racemate from a complex mixture of 130 bisadducts.

Vapochromic Behaviour of Polycarbonate Films Doped with a Luminescent Molecular Rotor.

We report on vapochromic films suitable for detecting volatile organic compounds (VOCs), based on polycarbonate (PC) doped with 4-(triphenylamino)phthalonitrile (), a fluorescent molecular rotor sensitive to solvent polarity and viscosity. PC films of variable thickness (from 20 up to 80 µm) and containing small amounts of (0.05 wt.

Intense Ground-State Charge-Transfer Interactions in Low-Bandgap, Panchromatic Phthalocyanine-Tetracyanobuta-1,3-diene Conjugates.

A cycloaddition-retroelectrocyclization reaction between tetracyanoethylene and two zinc phthalocyanines (Zn(II) Pcs) bearing one or four anilino-substituted alkynes has been used to install a strong, electron-accepting tetracyanobuta-1,3-diene (TCBD) between the electron-rich Zn(II) Pc and aniline moieties. A combination of photophysical, electrochemical, and spectroelectrochemical investigations with the Zn(II) Pc-TCBD-aniline conjugates, which present panchromatic absorptions in the visible region extending all the way to the near infrared, show that the formal replacement of the triple bond by TCBD has a dramatic effect on their ground- and excited-state features. In particular, the formation of extremely intense, ground-state charge-transfer interactions between Zn(II) Pc and the electron-accepting TCBD were observed, something unprecedented not only in Pc chemistry but also in TCBD-based porphyrinoid systems.

Making the invisible visible: improved electrospray ion formation of metalloporphyrins/-phthalocyanines by attachment of the formate anion (HCOO(-)).

A protocol is developed for the coordination of the formate anion (HCOO(-)) to neutral metalloporphyrins (Pors) and -phthalocyanines (Pcs) containing divalent metals as a means to improve their ion formation in electrospray ionization (ESI). This method is particularly useful when the oxidation of the neutral metallomacrocycle fails. While focusing on Zn(II)Pors and Zn(II)Pcs, we show that formate is also readily attached to Mn(II), Mg(II) and Co(II)Pcs.

Bidirectional Electron Transfer Capability in Phthalocyanine-Sc3N@I(h)-C80 Complexes.

To activate oxidative and/or reductive electron transfer reactions, N-pyridyl-substituted Sc3N@I(h)-C80 (4) and C60 (3) fulleropyrrolidines have been prepared and axially coordinated to electron-rich (1) or electron-deficient (2) Zn(II)phthalocyanines (Zn(II)Pcs) through zinc-pyridyl, metal-ligand coordination affording a full-fledged family of electron donor-acceptor ensembles. An arsenal of photophysical assays as they were carried out with, for example, 1/4 and 2/4 show unambiguously that a Zn(II)Pc-to-Sc3N@I(h)-C80 photoinduced electron transfer takes place in the former ensemble, whereas a Sc3N@I(h)-C80-to-Zn(II)Pc electron transfer occurs in the latter ensemble. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that a fullerene-based molecular building block shows an electron transfer dichotomy, namely acting both as electron-acceptor or electron-donor, and its outcome is simply governed by the electronic nature of its counterpart.

Phthalocyanine-nanocarbon ensembles: from discrete molecular and supramolecular systems to hybrid nanomaterials.

Phthalocyanines (Pcs) are macrocyclic and aromatic compounds that present unique electronic features such as high molar absorption coefficients, rich redox chemistry, and photoinduced energy/electron transfer abilities that can be modulated as a function of the electronic character of their counterparts in donor-acceptor (D-A) ensembles. In this context, carbon nanostructures such as fullerenes, carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and, more recently, graphene are among the most suitable Pc "companions". Pc-C60 ensembles have been for a long time the main actors in this field, due to the commercial availability of C60 and the well-established synthetic methods for its functionalization.