Polyphenylene Dendrimers with Pentafluorophenyl Units: Synthesis and Self-Assembly

The polar side of polyphenylene dendrimers

The site-specific functionalization of poly(phenylene) dendrimers can produce macromolecules with a range of different polarities.

Bottom-up synthesis of nanoscale conjugation-interrupted frameworks and their electrical properties

Soluble covalent organic nanoframeworks up to generation 2.5 (G2.5) are synthesized with self-similar H-shaped conformations by using a bottom-up approach including iterative C-H bond functionalization. The electrical characteristics of nanoscale thin-film semiconductors of the conjugation-interrupted frameworks can be tuned by post-modification with diazonium salt.

Scalar coupling across [C-H···F-C] interactions in (σ-aryl)-chelating post-metallocenes

The nature and importance of C-H···F-C interactions is a topical yet controversial issue, and the development of spectroscopic methods to probe such contacts is therefore warranted. A series of Group 4 bis(benzyl) complexes supported by (σ-aryl)-2-phenolate-6-pyridyl [O,C,N-R(1)] ligands bearing a fluorinated R(1) group (CF(3) or F) in the vicinity of the metal has been prepared. The X-ray crystal structure of the CF(3)-substituted Hf derivative features intramolecular C-H···F-C and Hf···F-C contacts. All complexes have been characterized by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy. The (1)H and (13)C NMR spectra of [M(O,C,N-CF(3))(CH(2)Ph)(2)] derivatives display coupling (assigned to (1h)J(HF) and (2h)J(CF) for Ti; (3)J(HF) and (2)J(CF) (through M···F) for Hf and Zr) between the benzyl CH(2) and CF(3) moieties. [(1)H,(19)F]-HMBC NMR experiments have been performed for the M-[O,C,N-R(1)] complexes and their [O,N,C] counterparts, revealing significant scalar coupling across the C-H···F-C interactions for Ti-[O,C,N] and [O,N,C] species.

Novel thieno-[3,4-b]-pyrazines cored dendrimers with carbazole dendrons: design, synthesis, and application in solution-processed red organic light-emitting diodes

A series of novel red-emitting thieno-[3,4-b]-pyrazine-cored molecules containing oligo-carbazole dendrons (called C1-TP, C2-TP) are synthesized. Their photophysical, electrochemical, and electroluminescent properties are investigated. The peripheral carbazolyl units facilitate the hole transporting ability and inhibit the intermolecular interactions, but quench the fluorescence of the thieno-[3,4-b]-pyrazine core through Intramolecular Charge Transfer (ICT). Introduction of a polyphenyl spacer between the core and the first generation carbazole dendrons, i.e., C-DTP, decreases the ICT efficiency. In addition to providing the site-isolation effect on the planar emissive core, these bulky dendrons enable these molecules to be solution processable. As a result, efficient OLEDs with saturated red emission are fabricated by spin coating technique using these dendritic materials as nondoped emitting layer. C-DTP exhibits much better device performance than C1-TP and C2-TP, while the small molecular reference compound containing neither the spacer nor the carbazole dendrons (TP) fails to transmit pure red emission under identical conditions. A brightness of 925 cd m(-2) and a luminous efficiency of 0.53 cd A(-1) are obtained for C-DTP, which are comparable with OLEDs fabricated from thieno-[3,4-b]-pyrazine-based counterparts by the vacuum deposition method or those assembled with other red fluorescent dendrimers via the solution processing method.

Characterization of self-assembled metallodendrimers in solution, in the gas phase, and at air/solid interfaces

It is found that 4,4'-bipyridines functionalized in their 3,3'-positions with Fréchet dendrons of 0th to 3rd generation self-assemble with (dppp)M(II) triflates (dppp: bis-(diphenylphosphino)propane; M = Pd, Pt) into metallo-supramolecular squares. They bear a nanometer-sized cavity inside an unpolar dendritic shell. A total of eight amide groups decorate the rims of the cavity connecting the dendrons to the square. Evidence for their formation up to the third generation comes from ESI-FTICR mass spectrometry and NMR experiments. Based on these results, the presence of significant amounts of other polygons or open-chain oligomers can be excluded. Exchange processes have been studied by variable-temperature NMR spectroscopy and by following the ligand exchanges between different squares by mass spectrometry. The ligand exchange is much slower for the Pt(II) squares as compared to their Pd(II) analogs. Visualization of films of these dendrimers using atomic force microscopy (AFM) provides information on their molecular dimensions. After deposition of a square monolayer on the surface, a slow reorganization within this layer is observed which leads to the formation of "tower-like" aggregates and multi-layer formation. The interplay of interactions between the dendrimers and the surface and interactions between different dendrimers are invoked to rationalize the observations.

Guiding the self-assembly of a second-generation polyphenylene dendrimer into well-defined patterns

A second-generation polyphenylene dendrimer 1 is shown to self-assemble into nanofibers. To guide the formation of the dendrimer fibers into well-defined patterns, 1H,1H,2H,2H-perfluorodecyltrichlorosilane is grafted in the gas phase onto a silicon substrate. De-wetting of the solution on the nanopatterned surface results in the formation of a nanostructured template, into which fiber growth subsequently occurs under the constraints set by the de-wetted morphology.

Challenges and breakthroughs in recent research on self-assembly

The controlled fabrication of nanometer-scale objects is without doubt one of the central issues in current science and technology. However, existing fabrication techniques suffer from several disadvantages including size-restrictions and a general paucity of applicable materials. Because of this, the development of alternative approaches based on supramolecular self-assembly processes is anticipated as a breakthrough methodology. This review article aims to comprehensively summarize the salient aspects of self-assembly through the introduction of the recent challenges and breakthroughs in three categories: (i) types of self-assembly in bulk media; (ii) types of components for self-assembly in bulk media; and (iii) self-assembly at interfaces.