Synthesis of Rotationally Restricted and Modular Biphenyl Building Blocks

Series of Geländer oligomers with orthogonal rungs

The synthesis and analyses of a series of "Geländer" oligomers with perpendicularly arranged rungs are reported. The synthesis is achieved by forming the axis with a statistical end-capped oligomerization, before the banister is wrapped around it by Eglinton couplings. The intrinsic helical chiral structures are characterized by NMR spectroscopy and mass- and photo spectrometry, and for the trimer, even the solid-state structure is determined. The dimeric, trimeric, and tetrameric structures are resolved into their enantiomers and their electronic circular dichroism is studied.

Synthesis, characterization and solid-state photoluminescence studies of six alkoxy phenylene ethynylene dinuclear palladium(II) rods

A rare family of six discrete binuclear [PdCl(PEt3)2] phenylene ethynylene rods with alkoxy side chains (methoxy, ethoxy and heptoxy) have been developed, and their solid-state photoluminescence results have been presented and discussed. The shorter bridging ligands are of the general formula H-C≡C-C6H2(R)2-C≡C-H, where R = H, OCH3, OC2H5, and OC7H15, whereas the longer ones are based on H-C≡C-C6H4-C≡C-C6H2(R)2-C≡C-C6H4-C≡C-H, where R = OCH3, OC2H5. These ligands display increasing length in both the main dimension (backbone length) as well as the number of carbons in the side chains (R, alkoxide side chain) that stem from the central phenylene moiety. The X-ray crystal structures of two of the prepared complexes are reported: one corresponds to a shorter rod, 1,4-bis[trans-(PEt3)2ClPd-C≡C]-2,5-diethoxybenzene (6c), while the second one is associated with a longer rod, the binuclear complex 1,4-bis[trans-(PEt3)2ClPd-4-(-C≡C-C6H4-C≡C)]-2,5-diethoxybenzene (7c). All new compounds were characterized by NMR spectroscopy ((1)H, (13)C{(1)H} and (31)P{(1)H}) as well as ESI-MS(TOF), EA, FTIR, UV-Vis, cyclic voltammetry and solid-state photoluminescence. Our work shows the influence of the alkoxy side chains on the electronic structure of the family of binuclear Pd rods by lowering its oxidation potential. In addition to this, the increase of the length of the bridge results in a higher oxidation potential. Solid state photoluminescence results indicate that Pd complexes are characterized by a marked decrease in both the emission intensity and the fluorescence lifetime values as compared to their ligands. This behaviour could be due to some degree of ligand-to-metal charge transfer.

Mono- and dinuclear osmium N,N'-di- and tetraphenylbipyridyls and extended bipyridyls. Synthesis, structure and electrochemistry

The efficient synthesis of mono- and dinuclear Os(IV) bipyridyl complexes is reported. These compounds show a two-step oxidation process leading to notable structural changes, which are reflected in their emission properties. During the second oxidation process a tetracation with a hydride-dihydrogen structure (instead of a trihydride) is formed. This results in a significant bathochromic shift of the emission band, accompanied by a moderate increase in intensity.

Influence of conformation on conductance of biphenyl-dithiol single-molecule contacts

The conductance of a family of biphenyl-dithiol derivatives with conformationally fixed torsion angle was measured using the scanning tunneling microscopy (STM)-break-junction method. We found that it depends on the torsion angle phi between two phenyl rings; twisting the biphenyl system from flat (phi = 0 degrees ) to perpendicular (phi = 90 degrees ) decreased the conductance by a factor of 30. Detailed calculations of transport based on density functional theory and a two level model (TLM) support the experimentally obtained cos(2) phi correlation between the junction conductance G and the torsion angle phi. The TLM describes the pair of hybridizing highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) states on the phenyl rings and illustrates that the pi-pi coupling dominates the transport under "off-resonance" conditions where the HOMO levels are well separated from the Femi energy.