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An original series of bipyrimidine‐based chromophores featuring alkoxystyryl donor groups bearing short chiral (S)‐2‐methylbutyl chains in positions 4, 3,4 and 3,5, connected to electron‐accepting 2,2‐bipyrimidine rings, has been developed. Their linear and non‐linear optical properties were studied using a variety of techniques, including one‐ and two‐photon absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence measurements, as well as Hyper‐Rayleigh scattering to determine the first hyperpolarizabilities. Their electronic and geometrical properties were rationalized by TD‐DFT calculations. The thermal properties of the compounds were also investigated by a combination of polarized light optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry measurements and small‐angle X‐ray scattering experiments. The derivatives were found not to have mesomorphic properties, but to exhibit melting temperatures or cold crystallization behavior that enabled the isolation of well‐organized thin films. The nonlinear optical properties of amorphous or crystalline thin films were studied by wide‐field second harmonic generation and multiphoton fluorescence imaging, confirming that non‐centrosymmetric crystal organization enables strong second and third harmonic generation. This new series confirms that our strategy of functionalizing 3D organic octupoles with short chiral chains to generate non‐centrosymmetric organized thin films enables the development of highly second order nonlinear optical active materials without the use of corona‐poling or tedious deposition techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New synthesized bipyrimidine‐based chromophores presenting alkoxystyryl donor groups carrying aliphatic achiral and chiral chains in the 4 position, connected to electron‐accepting 2,2‐bipyrimidine cores have been synthesized. Their linear and nonlinear optical (NLO) properties were investigated as well as their mesomorphic properties by various techniques (light‐transmission measurements, polarized‐light optical microscopy, differential scanning calorimetry measurements and two‐photon excited fluorescence). The derivatives with achiral linear carbon chains were found to exhibit liquid‐crystal properties with the formation smectic phases over large temperature ranges, which were confirmed by small‐angle X‐ray scattering analysis via stacking models. The nonlinear optical properties in the solid state for derivatives with C14 and the citronellol chains have been studied by wide‐field second‐harmonic generation and multi‐photon fluorescence imaging, confirming centrosymmetry for these achiral mesogens and their excellent third‐order nonlinearity whereas the chiral compound exhibits non‐centrosymmetric organization resulting in a strong Second Harmonic Generation at the crystal state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of crown ether substituted vinylogous tetrathiafulvalenes (TTFVs) is synthesized via oxidative coupling of bisdithiafulvenes. The rigidification of the crown ether ring after complexation has appeared as a decrease of the apparent electron-transfer kinetics and has little effect on the thermodynamics as the crown ether is far from the redox center.

The synthesis and the chelating ability of the tetrathiafulvenyl-acerylacetonate anion are investigated in regard to metal M(super H) cation (M(super h) = Ni, Zn) giving rise to the first metal complexes involving such rodox-active ligands. Electrochemical investigation, associated with the structural analysis of these complexes, evidence intramolecular interactions between two tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) cores of a complex.

Recently, a large variety of photothermal agents have been developed and are currently under study, owing to their wide range of applications. Nonetheless, a comparison of their relative performances remains a challenge, and it appears that no tool is yet available for rationalizing the data reported in the literature. Indeed, we demonstrate in this paper that neither the temperature increase (ΔT) nor the photothermal efficiency (η) are sufficient to account for the performance of a photothermal agent. From this observation, we propose that a new index, IPTmax, could be used, in order to properly rank molecular photothermal agents according to their efficacy for converting light into heat, in a similar fashion that brilliance is used to compare luminescence properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction of hydrogen bonding (HB) interactions in single component conductors derived from nickel and gold bis(dithiolene) complexes is explored with the 2-alkylthio-1,3-thiazole-4,5-dithiolate (RS-tzdt) with R = CH2CH2OH through the preparation of the neutral [Ni(HOEtS-tzdt)2]0 (closed-shell) and [Au(HOEtS-tzdt)2]˙ (radical) complexes. At variance with many other radical gold dithiolene complexes which have a strong tendency to dimerize in the solid state, [Au(HOEtS-tzdt)2]˙ crystallizes into uniform stacks interconnected by strong O–H⋯N HB involving the nitrogen atom of the thiazole ring. [Au(HOEtS-tzdt)2]˙ is isostructural with its neutral, closed-shell nickel analog [Ni(HOEtS-tzdt)2]0, a rare situation in this metal bis(dithiolene) chemistry. It demonstrates how the strength of the HB directing motif can control the overall structural arrangement to stabilize the same structure despite a different electron count. The nickel complex behaves as a band semiconductor with weak room temperature conductivity (1.6 × 10−5 S cm−1), while the gold complex is described as a Mott insulator with a three orders of magnitude improved conductivity (6 × 10−2 S cm−1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A single component molecular conductor is isolated from electrocrystallization of the monoanionic gold bis(dithiolene) complex based on the N-ethyl-1,3-thiazoline-2-thione-4,5-dithiolate (Et-thiazdt) ligand. First-principles density functional theory (DFT) calculations have shown that the ground state is antiferromagnetic with a very small band gap.

Neutral nickel bis(dithiolene) complexes, because of their closed-shell character, are usually considered as insulating materials, unless they are formed out of highly delocalized tetrathiafulvalenedithiolate ligands. We describe here an original series of S-alkyl substituted neutral bis(thiazole-4,5-dithiolate) nickel complexes formulated as [Ni(RS-tzdt)2] (R = Me, Et), which organize in the solid state into uniform stacks and exhibit semiconducting behavior, with room temperature conductivities comparable to those reported in the prototypical [Ni(dmit)2] and [Ni(Et-thiazdt)2] neutral complexes. These findings provide new perspectives in the current search for single component molecular conductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biocompatible nanoparticles (NPs) constituted by amphiphilic poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(benzyl malate), PEG-b-PMLABe, have been designed for site-specific PhotoThermal Controlled Release (PTCR) of drugs thanks to the presence of a near infra-red (NIR) photothermally active nickel-bis(dithiolene) complex in the inner core of the NPs, together with doxorubicin (Dox). A nanoprecipitation technique was used to prepare well-defined nickel-bis(dithiolene) and nickel-bis(dithiolene)/Dox loaded NPs, which were characterized by dynamic light scattering (DLS), zeta-potential measurements and Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM). We have shown that the Dox release was effectively controlled by NIR irradiation (long or pulsed NIR laser irradiation). Cytotoxicity experiments on HeLa and MDA-MB-231 cells have shown that the incorporation of more than 10 w% of nickel-bis(dithiolene) complexes does not increase the intrinsic toxicity of the polymer nanoparticles. Finally, the viability of MDA-MB-231 cells was assessed after their incubation, for 24 hours, with empty NPs, Ni4C12 loaded NPs, Dox loaded NPs or Ni4C12/Dox loaded NPs, without or with NIR irradiation. Above all, the results have highlighted that the Ni4C12 loaded NPs after 5 min NIR laser irradiation can induce strong cell death up to 80% at 50 μg mL−1. These results demonstrate that these NPs are good candidates for photothermal therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among single component molecular conductors, neutral radical gold dithiolene complexes [(R-thiazdt)2Au]. derived from the N-alkyl-1,3-thiazoline-2-thione-4,5-dithiolate (R-thiazdt) ligand provide an extensive series of conducting, non-dimerized, half-filled band systems. Analogues of the known R=isopropyl ( iPr) derivative were investigated here with R=NMe2, cyclopropyl (cPr) and n-propyl ( nPr), aiming at rationalizing the different solid state structures adopted by these compounds despite very closely related substituents on the heterocyclic nitrogen atom. An original crisscross organization within dimerized chains is observed with R=NMe2, differing however from the analogous iPr derivative by a 180° rotation of the heterocyclic nitrogen substituent. On the other hand, the cyclopropyl and n-propyl substituents lead to robust, uniform, non-dimerized chains with a strongly 1 D electronic structure and a formal half-filled electronic structure. The semiconducting behaviour of these two radical complexes is characteristic of a Mott insulator, whose sensitivity to external pressure has been evaluated up to 2.5 GPa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tetrathiafulvalenes (TTF) and bis(cyclopentadienyl) molybdenum dithiolene complexes, Cp2Mo(dithiolene) complexes, are known separately to act as good electron donor molecules. For an investigation of the interaction between both electrophores, two types of complexes were synthesized and characterized. The first type has one Cp2Mo fragment coordinated to one TTF dithiolate ligand, and the second type has one TTF bis(dithiolate) bridging two Cp2Mo fragments. Comparisons of the electrochemical properties of these complexes with those of models of each separate electrophore provide evidence for their mutual influence. All of these complexes act as very good electron donors with a first oxidation potential 430 mV lower than the tetrakis(methylthio)TTF. DFT calculations suggest that the HOMO of the neutral complex and the SOMO of the cation are delocalized across the whole TTF dithiolate ligand. The X-ray crystal structure analyses of the neutral and the mono-oxidized Cp2Mo(dithiolene)(bismethylthio)TTF complexes are consistent with the delocalized assignment of the highest occupied frontier molecular orbitals. UV-vis-NIR spectroelectrochemical investigations confirm this electronic delocalization within the TTF dithiolate ligand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A complete series of dianionic, monoanionic, and neutral dithiolene complexes formulated as [Ni(Et-thiazdt)2]n, with n = -2, -1, 0, and Et-thiazdt: N-ethyl-1,3-thiazoline-2-thione-4,5-dithiolate, is prepared using an optimized procedure described earlier for the N-Me derivatives. Electrochemical and spectroscopic properties confirm the electron-rich character of the Et-thiazdt dithiolate ligand. The three complexes are structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The paramagnetic anionic complex [Ni(Et-thiazdt)2]-1, as Ph4P+ salt, exhibits side-by-side lateral interactions leading to a Heisenberg spin chain behavior. The solid-state structure of the neutral, diamagnetic [Ni(Et-thiazdt)2]0 complex shows a face-to-face organization with a large longitudinal shift, at variance with the structure of its radical and neutral gold dithiolene analogue described earlier and formulated as [Au(Et-thiazdt)2]. Comparison of the two structures, and those of the other few structurally characterized pairs of Ni/Au dithiolene complexes, demonstrates the important role played by overlap interactions between gold dithiolene radical species. Despite its closed-shell character, the neutral nickel complex [Ni(Et-thiazdt)2]0 exhibits a semiconducting behavior with a room-temperature conductivity σRT ≈ 0.014 S cm-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of a side product of the aerial dithiolene oxidation allowed the rational and efficient synthesis of a sulfur rich electron acceptor, (E)-3,3′-diethyl-5,5′-bithiazolidinylidene-2,4,2′,4′-tetrathione, that presents easily accessible redox states and forms with decamethylferrocene a charge transfer salt exhibiting ferromagnetic coupling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the basis of the reported radical neutral complex [Au(Et-thiazdt)2] (Et-thiazdt = N-ethyl-1,3-thiazoline -2-thione-4,5-dithiolate), a series of single-component conductors derived from [Au(Et-thiazdt)2], also noted as [AuS4(-S)2], has been developed, by replacing the outer sulfur atoms of the thiazoline-2-thione rings by oxygen atoms and/or by replacing the coordinating sulfur atoms by selenium atoms toward the corresponding diselenolene complexes. Comparison of the X-ray crystal structures and transport properties of the four isostructural complexes, noted as [AuS4(-S)2], [AuS4(-O)2], [AuSe4(-S)2], and [AuSe4(-O)2], shows that the oxygen substitution on the outer thiazoline ring actually decreases the conductivity by a factor of 100, despite a contracted unit cell volume reflecting a positive chemical pressure effect. On the other hand, the S/Se substitution increases the conductivity by a factor of 100, and the pressure needed to transform these semiconductors into the metallic state is shifted from 13 kbar in [AuS4(-S)2] to only ≈6 kbar in [AuSe4(-S)2]. Analysis of unit cell evolutions and ab initio band structure calculations demonstrates the strongly anisotropic nature of this chemical pressure effect and provides an explanation for the observed changes in conductivity. The greater sensitivity of these neutral single-component conductors to external pressure, as compared with "classical" radical salts, is also highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eighteen new [PtII(N∧N)(S∧S)] complexes [ 23- 40; N∧N = diimine: 2,2′-bipyridine, 1,10-phenanthroline and alkyl/aryl-substituted derivatives; S∧S = arylethylene-1,2-dithiolate (R-edt2-: R = phenyl, 2-naphthyl, 1-pyrenyl), N-substituted 2-thioxothiazoline-4,5-dithiolate (R-dmet2-: R = methyl, ethyl, phenyl)] have been synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic (UV/Vis/NIR, fluorescence) and electrochemical (CV) measurements. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis allowed structural characterization of five of the complexes ( 27- 29, 31, and 37). Structural modifications capable of affecting the nature and energies of the frontier molecular orbitals in these systems were assessed and hybrid DFT and time-dependent (TD) DFT calculations, carried out both in the gas phase and in the presence of several solvents (CH2Cl2, CHCl3, CH3CN, acetone, thf, dmf, dmso, and toluene), allowed the trends observed in the voltammetric data and in the energies of the peculiar solvatochromic visible absorption bands to be rationalized. In addition, to evaluate the second-order nonlinear optical properties of 23- 40, first static hyperpolarizability values βtot were calculated both in the gas phase and in CH2Cl2, the highest values being obtained for [Pt(N∧N)(Me-dmet)] complexes (N∧N = 4,4′-diphenyl-2,2′-bipyridine and 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline; βtot = 691 × 10-30 and 604 × 10-30 esu, respectively). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the synthesis and characterization of related metalated porphyrazinediols. Conversion into solitaire complexes; Dependence of the stability on the nature of the metal ion in the cavity of the porphyrazine.

Biocompatible nanoparticles (NPs) of hydrophobic poly(benzyl malate) (PMLABe) were prepared by nanoprecipitation. The influence of nanoprecipitation parameters (initial PMLABe, addition rate, organic solvent/water ratio and stirring speed) were studied to optimize the resulting formulations in terms of hydrodynamic diameter (Dh) and dispersity (PDI). PMLABe NPs with a Dh of 160 nm and a PDI of 0.11 were isolated using the optimized nanoprecipitation conditions. A hydrophobic near infra-red (NIR) photothermally active nickel-bis(dithiolene) complex (Ni8C12) was then encapsulated into PMLABe NPs using the optimized nanoprecipitation conditions. The size and encapsulation efficiency of the NPs were measured, revealing that up to 50 weight percent (wt%) of Ni8C12 complex can efficiently be encapsulated with a slight increase in Dh of the corresponding Ni8C12-loaded NPs. Moreover, we have shown that NP encapsulating Ni8C12 were stable under storage conditions (4 °C) for at least 10 days. Finally, the photothermal properties of Ni8C12-loaded NPs were evaluated and a high photothermal efficiency (62.7 ± 6.0%) waswas measured with NPs incorporating 10 wt% of the Ni8C12 complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports on the synthesis of the first alpha-unsaturated hydrides of a posttransition metal, the vinylmercury hydrides. Chemoselective reduction of the corresponding vinylmercury chlorides with tributylstannane in the presence of a radical inhibitor; Structural characterization; Pi interactions between the vinyl pi-system and the mercury d-orbitals.

An original asymmetric achiral pyrimidine core molecule, with long carbon chains on one side and a coumarin fragment on the other, is designed. This advanced molecular structure enabled the spontaneous emergence of crystalline and liquid crystalline thin films with strong 2nd harmonic generation (SHG) without any corona polishing process or tedious deposition techniques. Moreover, pin‐pointed multiphoton absorption in the liquid crystalline phase effectively switches off the SHG signal locally and permanently, underlining its interest in 3D data storage. This prototypical material, which can be fully addressed by NLO processes, multiphoton writing, and SHG reading, paves the way for the development of efficient flexible materials for 3D optical data storage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New thermosensitive liposomes with a phase transition at 42 °C, containing nickel-bis(dithiolene) complexes as efficient and stable photothermal agents, have been formulated and characterized. These liposomes are highly stable and keep their contents at 37 °C for more than 30 days. On the contrary, the mild hyperthermia generated by the nickel-bis(dithiolene) complex under 940 nm NIR irradiation allows for the fine controlled release of the liposome contents, making such liposomes highly suitable for on-demand drug delivery in the human body under NIR laser irradiation. These liposomes can also be directly used, as shown here, as nanoagents for photothermal therapy. In fact, strong cell death can be generated under laser irradiation in the presence of these photothermally active nanocargos containing less than 10% w/w of metal complex. We also demonstrate, for the first time, that nickel-bis(dithiolene) complexes are good photoacoustic agents, generating easily detectable ultrasonic signals directly proportional to the concentration of complexes and the used laser power.

The complete characterization of novel electropolymerizable organometallic complexes is presented. These are newly synthesized cyclometalated complexes of general formula (PPy)M(O ∧ N)(n) (H(PPy) = 2-phenylpyridine, M = Pd(II) or Pt(II), H(O ∧ N)(n) = Schiff base). Polymeric thin films have been obtained from these complexes by electropolymerization of the triphenylamino group grafted onto the H(O ∧ N)(n) ancillary ligand. The redox behavior and the photoconductivity of both of the monomers (PPy)M(O ∧ N)(n) and the electropolymerized species have been investigated. The polymeric films of (PPy)M(O ∧ N)(n) have shown a very significant enhancement of photoconductivity when compared to their monomeric amorphous counterparts. The high stability of the obtained films strongly suggests that electropolymerization of cyclometalated complexes represents a viable deposition technique of quality thin films with improved photoconduction properties, hence opening the door to a new class of materials with suitable properties for optoelectronic applications.

A novel redox active macrocycle including two vinylogous tetrathiafulvalenes (TTFVs) and two molybdenum tetracarbonyl fragments has been synthezised thanks to the coordination-driven self-assembly of complementary angular derivatives. Pyridyl vinylogous TTFVs have been deliberately elaborated for that purpose, using the oxidative coupling of pyridyldithiafulvenes (DTF). Cyclic voltammetry, IR and NMR spectroscopies, and single-crystal X-ray crystallography of the target molecules have been investigated.

A hybrid organic inorganic nanostructured material containing a TTF core substituted by four arms exhibited a high level of both condensation at silicon (96%) and self-organization as evidenced by X-ray diffraction and an unprecedented birefringent behaviour.