Iridium(III) complexes with sulfonyl and fluorine substituents: synthesis, stereochemistry and effect of functionalisation on their photophysical properties.

The synthesis and photophysical and electrochemical characterisation of new heteroleptic iridium complexes with electron-withdrawing sulfonyl groups and fluorine atoms bound to phenylpyridine ligands are reported. The emission energy of these materials strongly depends on the position of the sulfonyl groups and on the number of fluorine substituents. A 90 nm wide tuning range of photoluminescence from the blue-green (lambda(em)=468 nm) of iridium(III)bis[2-(4'-benzylsulfonyl)phenylpyridinato-N,C2'][3-(pentafluorophenyl)-pyridin-2-yl-1,2,4-triazolate] to the orange (lambda(em)=558 nm) of iridium(III)bis[2-(3'-benzylsulfonyl)phenylpyridinato-N,C2'](2,4-decanedionate) has been achieved.

Enantiopure, supramolecular helices containing three-dimensional tetranuclear lanthanide(III) arrays: synthesis, structure, properties, and solvent-driven trinuclear/tetranuclear interconversion.

The enantiomerically pure pinene-bipyridine-based receptor, (-) or (+) L(-), diastereoselectively self-assembles in dry acetonitrile in the presence of Ln(III) ions (Ln = La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, and Tb) to give a C3-symmetrical, pyramidal architecture with the general formula [Ln4(L)9(mu3-OH)](ClO4)2) (abbreviated as tetra-Ln4L9). Three metal centers shape the base: an equilateral triangle surrounded by two sets of helically wrapping ligands with opposite configurations. This part of the structure is very similar to the species [Ln3(L)6(mu3-OH)(H2O)3](ClO4)2) (recently reported by us and abbreviated as tris-LnL2) formed by the ligand and the Ln(III) ions when the reactions are performed in methanol.

Coordination-driven face-directed self-assembly of trigonal prisms. Face-based conformational chirality.

The coordination-driven self-assembly of four different trigonal prisms from 3 equiv of one of four different tetrapyridyl star connectors and 6 equiv of a platinum linker dication in nitromethane is presented. This face-directed approach affords high yields without template assistance. The prisms have been characterized by multinuclear and DOSY NMR and dual ESI-FT-ICR mass spectrometry.

Sensitized near-infrared emission from ytterbium(III) via direct energy transfer from iridium(III) in a heterometallic neutral complex.

A tetrametallic iridium-ytterbium complex has been synthesised that shows sensitized near-infrared emission (lambda(max) = 976 nm) upon excitation of the iridium unit in the visible region (400 nm) due to efficient energy transfer from the iridium units to the Yb(III) ion. The iridium phosphorescence is quenched nearly quantitatively while the ytterbium ion emits brightly in the NIR.

Blue-emitting iridium complexes with substituted 1,2,4-triazole ligands: synthesis, photophysics, and devices.

Neutral heteroleptic mononuclear iridium(III) complexes with (2,4-difluoro)phenylpyridine and different pyridine-1,2,4-triazole ligands were synthesized and fully characterized. We investigated the effects of substituents in the 5-position of the triazole ring on the photophysical and electrochemical behavior. Increasing the electron-withdrawing capabilities generally leads to a lowering of the HOMO level with a consequent slight widening of the HOMO-LUMO gap and a blue shift in emission.

Lanthanide class of a trinuclear enantiopure helical architecture containing chiral ligands: synthesis, structure, and properties.

The pinene-bipyridine carboxylic derivatives (+)- and (-)-HL, designed to form configurationally stable lanthanide complexes, proved their effectiveness as chiral building blocks for the synthesis of lanthanide-containing superstructures. Indeed a self-assembly process takes place with complete diastereoselectivity between the enantiomerically pure ligand L(-) and Ln(III) ions (La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er), thus leading to the quantitative formation of a trinuclear supramolecular architecture with the general formula [Ln(3)(L)(6)(mu(3)-OH)(H(2)O)(3)](ClO(4))(2) (abbreviated as tris(Ln[L](2))). This class of C(3)-symmetrical compounds was structurally characterized in the solid state and solution.