Accessing unsymmetrical Ru(II) bipyridine complexes: a versatile synthetic mechanism for fine tuning photophysical properties.

Three novel unsymmetrical Ru(II) bipyridine complexes were generated a convenient, modular, convergent synthetic route. An investigation of their photophysical properties revealed solvent-dependent excited state behaviour including altered absorption and emission wavelengths, emission lifetimes and quantum yields of phosphorescence.

Ru(ii) and Ir(iii) phenanthroline-based photosensitisers bearing o-carborane: PDT agents with boron carriers for potential BNCT.

Four novel transition metal-carborane photosensitisers were prepared by Sonogashira cross-coupling of 1-(4-ethynylbenzyl)-2-methyl-o-carborane (A-CB) with halogenated Ru(ii)- or Ir(iii)-phenanthroline complexes. The resulting boron-rich complexes with one (RuCB and IrCB) or two carborane cages (RuCB2 and IrCB2) were spectroscopically characterised, and their photophysical properties investigated. RuCB displayed the most attractive photophysical properties in solution (λ 635 nm, τ 2.

Multinuclear Ru(ii) and Ir(iii) decorated tetraphenylporphyrins as efficient PDT agents.

Two novel porphyrin-core systems were prepared by Sonogashira cross-coupling of the terminal alkyne groups of meso-tetra(4-ethynylphenyl)porphyrin-Zn(ii) (P-1) with halogenated Ru(ii)- or Ir(iii)-phenanthroline complexes. The resulting compounds (P-Ru and P-Ir) were spectroscopically characterised and their photophysical properties were investigated (λ 625, 665 nm; τ 339.6 μs (P-Ru) and λ 530, 612, 664 nm; τ 396.

Chemistry of 4-[(4-bromophenyl)ethynyl]pyridine at metal surfaces studied by STM.

Molecular architectures (Kagome networks, coordinated/covalent dimers and branched coordination chains) via self-assembly, Ullmann reaction and pyridine coordination of 4-[(4-bromophenyl)ethynyl]pyridine are found to be sensitive to the underlying metallic surfaces. The molecular species were characterised on the surface by low-temperature scanning tunnelling microscopy (LT-STM) at sub-molecular level.

Novel ruthenium and iridium complexes of N-substituted carbazole as triplet photosensitisers.

Novel mono- and di-nuclear Ru(ii) and Ir(iii) complexes, bearing a modified carbazole moiety are synthesised. In comparison to their mononuclear analogues, the homonuclear diatomic complexes (RuCRu and IrCIr), in which the carbazole containing-ligand functions as a bridge, display increased absorbance in the visible region, and give rise to higher singlet oxygen quantum yields.

Iridium(III) Complexes Bearing Pyrene-Functionalized 1,10-Phenanthroline Ligands as Highly Efficient Sensitizers for Triplet-Triplet Annihilation Upconversion.

"Chemistry-on-the-complex" synthetic methods have allowed the selective addition of 1-ethynylpyrene appendages to the 3-, 5-, 3,8- and 5,6-positions of Ir -coordinated 1,10-phenanthroline via Sonogashira cross-coupling. The resulting suite of complexes has given rise to the first rationalization of their absorption and emission properties as a function of the number and position of the pyrene moieties. Strong absorption in the visible region (e.

Sonogashira Cross-Coupling as a Route to Tunable Hybrid Organic-Inorganic Rods with a Polyoxometalate Backbone.

A new diiodo-bifunctionalized Anderson-Evans polyoxometalate (TBA)[MnMoO{(OCH)CNHCO(CH-p-I)}] (1; TBA = [(CH)N]) was prepared and used as a new platform to generate tunable rigid-molecular rods (2a-2c) via Sonogashira cross-coupling. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis of 1 and 2c reveals that they are type B Anderson-Evans structures with molecular lengths of 23 and 38 Å, respectively.

Highly Efficient Triplet Photosensitizers: A Systematic Approach to the Application of Ir(III) Complexes containing Extended Phenanthrolines.

A series of Ir(III) complexes, based on 1,10-phenanthroline featuring aryl acetylene chromophores, were prepared and investigated as triplet photosensitizers. The complexes were synthesized by Sonogashira cross-coupling reactions using a "chemistry-on-the-complex" method. The absorption properties and luminescence lifetimes were successfully tuned by controlling the number and type of light-harvesting group.

One-Pot, High-Yielding, Oxidative Cyclodehydrogenation Route for N-Doped Nanographene Synthesis.

An intramolecular oxidative cyclodehydrogenation via a one-pot process is described, which induces selective C-C bond formation and bromine functionalization. The application of this new route gives rise to a novel family of partially fused, selectively brominated N-doped pyrimidine graphenes.

Methoxy functionalisation: exerting synthetic control of the supramolecular and electronic structure of nitrogen-doped nanographenes.

We describe a series of functionalized N-containing heterosuperbenzenes, created with a view to investigating the strategic role of methoxy substituents in (i) promoting cyclodehydrogenation and (ii) tuning the electronic properties and (iii) the supramolecular order in the resultant fused products.

Intriguing Diels-Alder products: chiral centres with an added twist.

Two chiral fluoranthene-based polyaromatics were isolated from a Diels-Alder cycloaddition between two molecules of 7,9-diphenylcyclopenta[a]acenapthylene-8-one. The two highly coloured, novel compounds were characterized by a combination of spectroscopic techniques and single crystal X-ray diffraction. Structural differences between the unexpected products included the nature of their conjugated fluoranthene portions and the position, strain and handedness of their chiral centres.

Structure-property relationships and (1)O)2) photosensitisation in sterically encumbered diimine Pt(II) acetylide complexes.

A series of sterically encumbered [Pt(L)(σ-acetylide)2 ] complexes were prepared in which L, a dendritic polyaromatic diimine ligand, was held constant (L=1-(2,2'-bipyrid-6-yl)-2,3,4,5-tetrakis(4-tert-butylphenyl)benzene) and the cis ethynyl co-ligands were varied. The optical properties of the complexes were tuned by changing the electronic character, extent of π conjugation and steric bulk of the ethynyl ligands. Replacing electron-withdrawing phenyl-CF3 substituents (4) with electron-donating pyrenes (5) resulted in a red shift of both the lowest-energy absorption (ΔE=3300 cm(-1) , 61 nm) and emission bands (ΔE=1930 cm(-1) , 64 nm).

Visible light-harvesting trans bis(alkylphosphine) platinum(II)-alkynyl complexes showing long-lived triplet excited states as triplet photosensitizers for triplet-triplet annihilation upconversion.

Symmetric and asymmetric linear trans-bis(tributylphosphine) Pt(II) bis(acetylide) complexes with functionalized aryl alkynyl ligands (coumarin, naphthalimide and phenyl acetylides) were prepared, which show enhanced absorption in the visible region (molar absorption coefficients up to 76,800 M(-1) cm(-1) at 459 nm) and long-lived triplet excited states (up to 139.9 μs). At room temperature, the naphthalimide acetylide-phenyl acetylide complex (Pt-4) shows dual emission (fluorescence-phosphorescence), whereas other complexes show only fluorescence emission.

The synthesis and characterisation of novel ferrocenyl polyphenylenes.

This work describes the synthesis and characterisation of a new series of polyphenylenes with up to four ferrocenyl moieties. The synthetic route involves the preparation of a number of novel precursors. Cyclopentadienones, generated from the two-fold Knoevenagel condensation of di-ferrocenyl propanones and diketones, are used in [2 + 4] Diels-Alder cycloadditions with appropriately substituted acetylenes.

Terpyridine-fused polyaromatic hydrocarbons generated via cyclodehydrogenation and used as ligands in Ru(II) complexes.

A series of novel fused 4'-substituted 2,2' : 6',2''-terpyridine ligands and their ruthenium(II) complexes were prepared. The unusual 4'-substituents comprised 2,3,4,5-pentaphenylbenzene and its tert-butyl derivative (1 and 2) and the products from oxidative cyclodehydrogenation, i.e.

Substituted pyridazines as ligands in homoleptic (fac and mer) and heteroleptic Ru(II) complexes.

This article reports the preparation of a range of phenyl, pyridyl and pyrazinyl substituted pyridazines via the inverse electron demand [2 + 4] Diels-Alder reaction between 3,6-di(2-pyridyl)-1,2,4,5-tetrazines (bptz) and 3,6-di(2-pyrazinyl)-1,2,4,5-tetrazines (bpztz) and suitable dienophiles including acenaphthalene. The resulting polyaromatic compounds vary systematically in the number of aromatic substituents and the number and position of N-heteroatoms. For four of these compounds, the effect of the molecular changes on the solid-state structures were investigated using single crystal X-ray crystallography.

A dinuclear extension to constrained heteroleptic Cu(I) systems.

This article reports the synthesis and optical properties of three dinuclear, cationic copper complexes [Cu(2)(μ-dppm)(2)(μ-L)](NO(3))(2) (dppm diphenyldiphosphinomethane, L: L(A) 3,6-bis(2-pyridyl)-4,5-diphenyl-pyridazine, L(B) 3,6-bis(2-pyridyl)-4,5-di(4-pyridyl)-pyridazine and L(C) 3,6-bis(2-pyridyl)-8,9-diazafluoranthene). These were formed on the reaction of [Cu(μ-dppm)(NO(3))](2) with a series of N-donor (bppn) ligands L. The single crystal X-ray structures of [Cu(2)(μ-dppm)(2)(μ-L)](NO(3))(2)·CH(2)Cl(2) were determined and revealed that in both, the two copper atoms are held by three bridging ligands, two dppm ligands and one bppn ligand acting as a tetradentate bridge.

Photochemical [2 + 2] cycloaddition reactions of 6-alkenyl-3-phenylcyclohex-2-en-1-ones: using biradical conformation control to account for exceptions to the "rule of five".

A series of 6-alkenyl-3-phenylcyclohex-2-enones has been synthesised and the structures of the products obtained from them on irradiation have been determined. The 6-propenyl compounds afforded a tricyclic 'parallel' [2 + 2] cycloaddition product and a bicyclic enone resulting from hydrogen abstraction in the biradical intermediate. The 6-butenyl and 6-pentenyl analogues gave 'crossed' cycloaddition products only.

Thienyl directed polyaromatic C-C bond fusions: S-doped hexabenzocoronenes.

With a view to combining the desirable electronic and photochemical properties of hexabenzocoronene (HBC) and the C-C bond forming capabilities of thiophenes, 1-(3-thienyl)-2,3,4,5,6-penta(4-tert-butyl-phenyl)benzene (1) was oxidised using FeCl(3). The resulting products, superaromatic thiophene (2) and its 5,5'-dimer (3), are S-HBC systems and provide a new pair of spectral comparators.

Synthesis, characterisation and biological evaluation of N-(ferrocenyl)naphthoyl amino acid esters as anticancer agents.

A series of N-(ferrocenyl)naphthoyl amino acid esters 5-18 has been prepared by coupling ferrocenyl naphthoic acids 3-4 to alpha-amino acids and linear amino acids in the presence of N-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-N'-ethylcarbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC) and 1-hydroxybenzotriazole (HOBt). The compounds were fully characterised by a range of NMR spectroscopic techniques, UV-Vis spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and cyclic voltammetry. X-ray crystallographic studies of the intermediate compounds 1-2 were also performed.

Superaromatic terpyridines: hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronenes with tridentate functionality.

Two superaromatic terpyridine ligands (1 and 2) incorporating a hexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene (HBC) unit at the 4'-position have been prepared. In 1, the terpyridine and the HBC domains are directly fused, while in 2, they are separated by an acetylene linker. Also presented is the synthesis and characterization of several novel HBC derivatives, including 2-iodo-5,8,11,14,17-penta-tert-butylhexa-peri-hexabenzocoronene (7), a valuable synthetic intermediate.

Switching and tuning organic solid-state luminescence via a supramolecular approach.

Unusual intermolecular interactions of organic luminescent acid, 2-cyano-3(4-(diphenylamino)phenyl)acrylic acid (CDPA), with amines lead to the formation of supramolecular luminescence systems with switchable and tunable solid-state luminescence.

Synthesis, structural characterisation and biological evaluation of fluorinated analogues of resveratrol.

Resveratrol is a potential chemopreventive agent and can be isolated from grape skins and other dietary sources. The Wittig reaction and the decarbonylative Heck reaction were employed to synthesise analogues of this stilbene. Fluorinated derivatives of this stilbene were synthesised maintaining the 3,4',5-substitution pattern.

Robust self-assembled monolayers of Ru(II) and Os(II) polypyridines on gold surfaces: exploring new potentials.

Metal complexes [M(phtpy)(pztpy)](PF(6))(2) (phtpy = 4'-phenyl-2,2':6',2''-terpyridine, pztpy = 4'-(N-piperazinyl)-2,2':6',2''-terpyridine, M = Ru, Os) were prepared and examined spectroscopically and electrochemically. The piperazine attachment was found to significantly modify the photophysical and electrochemical properties compared to the parent bis-terpyridine complexes, causing a red-shift of the (1)MLCT (23 nm, 53.9 eV) and a substantial cathodic shift of the redox potential (0.

Rhodium and palladium complexes of a pyridyl-centred polyphenylene derivative.

2-(2'-Pyridyl)-3,4,5,6-tetraphenylpyridine 2 (HL), a ligand with both N,N-bidentate and N,N,C-terdentate coordination potential, was prepared in excellent yield by the Diels-Alder [2+4] cycloaddition of 2-cyanopyridine and tetraphenylcyclopentadien-1-one. Monometallic Pd(II) and Rh(III) complexes were formed which exhibit both types of ligand coordination (trans-[RhCl2(L)(NCMe)] 3, cis-[RhCl(L)(NCMe)2]PF6, cis-[RhCl2(HL)2]PF6 6, [RhCl(L)(HL)]PF6 7, [Rh(L)2]PF6 8, [Pd(OAc)(L)] 9 and [Pd(eta3-methallyl)(HL)]PF6) 10. The molecular structures of the ligand and six complexes, including the chloro-bridged dimer [RhCl(L)(micro-Cl)]2 5, were obtained by single crystal X-ray diffraction.