Generation of blue light-emitting zinc complexes by band-gap control of the oxazolylphenolate ligand system: syntheses, characterizations, and organic light emitting device applications of 4-coordinated bis(2-oxazolylphenolate) zinc(II) complexes.

Color-tunable Zn(II) complexes of the type Zn( N,O-OPh (OxZ)ArX) 2 ( 5), where the ligand consists of an oxazolylphenolate ion connected at the 4-position by a 2,4-substituted aryl functional group with X = NMe 2 a, OMe b, Ph c, Cl d, F 2 e, and CN f, were prepared. X-ray structural studies of 5a, 5b, and 5e showed that a zinc atom was positioned in a distorted tetrahedral coordination environment created by two oxazolylphenolate ligands with N,O-chelation. Hammet plots of absorption and emission maxima, respectively, in UV and photoluminescence (PL) spectra with respect to electron-donating and electron-withdrawing groups of the substituents indicate a direct correlation between the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO)-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) band gaps and electronic alterations at the ligand sites.