Benz(2-heteroaryl)cyanoximes and their Tl(i) complexes: new room temperature blue emitters.

A series of five 2-heteroarylcyanoximes such as: alpha-oximino-(2-benzimidazolyl)acetonitrile (HBIHCO), alpha-oximino-(N-methy-l-2-benzimidazolyl)acetonitrile (HBIMCO), alpha-oximino-(2-benzoxazolyl)acetonitrile (HBOCO), alpha-oximino-(2-benzothiazolyl)acetonitrile (HBTCO) and alpha-oximino-(2-quinolyl)acetonitrile (HQCO) and their monovalent thallium(i) complexes were synthesized and characterized using spectroscopic methods ((1)H, (13)C NMR, IR, UV-visible, mass-spectrometry) and X-ray analysis. The HBIMCO (as monohydrate) adopts planar trans-anti configuration in the solid state. The crystal structure of "HBOCO" revealed the presence of nitroso anion a, BOCO(-), and protonated oxime cation b, H(2)BOCO(+), that form a H-bonded dimer in the unit cell.