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Novel site-selective hetero-copper(II)/zinc(II) complexes of a cisoid-configured doubly N-confused dioxohexaphyrin analog (c-ZnCu-2 and c-CuZn-2) were synthesized and characterized. The resulting heterometal complexes exhibited a unique near-infrared (NIR) absorption feature, and the facile redox-active properties originated from the large 26[Formula: see text]-conjugated structure. The distinct difference between the site-dependent c-ZnCu-2 and c-CuZn-2appeared in the specific structural parameters of the d9 copper centers in the electron paramagnetic resonance spectra and the Lewis acidity of the zinc centers upon the base-titrations. These complexes have potential for the hetero-metal-containing [Formula: see text]-material applications that respond to the NIR light.

A one-pot synthesis of cobalt(II) complexes of 5,10,15,20-tetraaryl-5,15-diazaporphyrins (CoTADAPs) from the corresponding 5-aryl-1-arylamino-9-chlorodipyrrins and cobalt(II) acetate is reported. The CoTADAPs exhibited characteristic electrochemical behavior and catalyzed the intramolecular cyclization of

This work reports a series of covalently linked hybrids comprising 5,10,15,20-tetraaryl-5,15-diazaporphyrinoids (M-TADAP; M = Ni, Zn, Cu) and amines. M-TADAP-amine hybrids were prepared via the metal-templated cyclization of the corresponding metal(II)-dipyrrin complexes and redox reactions on the DAP unit. In the UV/vis/near-IR absorption spectra of the hybrids containing an 18π-electron DAP ring, broad charge-transfer bands were observed, reflecting the electron-donating property of the para-aminophenyl groups and the electron-accepting property of the 18π TADAP dication. The electrochemical behavior of the M-TADAP-amine hybrids was strongly dependent on the structure of the peripheral amine units. Further electrochemical oxidation of the hybrids bearing N-Ph groups conceivably generated amine-centered radicals, which sequentially underwent irreversible coupling to form benzidine-linked M-TADAP polymer films. The Ni-TADAP-benzidine polymer exhibited the electric conductivity of 1×10-3 S m-1 .

A facile synthetic strategy towards conformationally stable chiral chromophores based on dimeric porphyrinoids has been established. A peculiar class of face-to-face intramolecularly interlocked corrole dimers were formed by the oxidative C-C coupling linked at the inner carbon sites upon simple treatment of copper(II) ions. Their intrinsic electronic structures were modulated by the peripheral corrole ring annulations, which lead to distinct optical properties and redox profiles. The stereogenic carbon centers implemented in the confused corrole skeleton provided a rationale for designing novel chiral materials.

The synthesis of robust high-spin carbon radicals is an important topic in organic chemistry. Toward this end, several porphyrin-stabilized radicals have been systematically explored. A singly naphthalene-fused porphyrin radical was synthesized by a reaction sequence consisting of a Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of β-borylated porphyrin with 2-bromobenzaldehyde, addition of mesityl Grignard reagent, intramolecular Friedel-Crafts alkylation, and final oxidation with DDQ or tBuOK/O2 . This strategy was also used to synthesize doubly naphthalene-fused porphyrins and syn- and anti-fused-anthracene-bridged porphyrin dimers. While singly naphthalene-fused porphyrin radical has been shown to be a stable monoradical, doubly naphthalene-fused porphyrins and anti-fused-anthracene-bridged porphyrin dimers have been shown to be closed-shell molecules. Finally, the syn-dimer was characterized as a surprisingly stable radical (t1/2 =28 days under ambient air and at 80 °C) that is storable for more than several months, despite its high-spin triplet ground-state carbon diradical.

2,18-Bis(dicyanomethyl)-substituted NiII porphyrin 8 and ZnII porphyrin 11 were prepared and subjected to oxidation with PbO2 in CH2 Cl2 at 298 K to give cyclophane-type chlorin dimers (9)2 and (12)2 as a consequence of double recombination of biradicals 9 and 12, respectively. Dimer (9)2 takes a syn-conformation of two distorted NiII chlorins but (12)2 takes an anti-conformation of relatively planar ZnII chlorins. At 298 K, dimer (9)2 is stable and its 1 H NMR spectrum is sharp but becomes broad at high temperature, while the 1 H NMR spectrum of (12)2 is considerably broad even at 298 K but becomes sharper at low temperature. These results indicate that the chlorin dimers dissociate to radical species, but the activation barrier of the dissociation of (12)2 is much less than that of (9)2 . The involvement of diradicals in dynamic covalent chemistry has been suggested by thermal scrambling of hetero dimer (16)2 to give homo dimers (9)2 and (15)2 .

We report on the synthesis and optical, magnetic, and electrochemical properties of nickel(II) and copper(II) complexes of 5,10,15,20-tetraaryl-5,15-diazaporphyrin–tertiary amine (TADAP–TA) conjugates. Metal-templated cyclization reactions of 9-(4-(dimethylamino)phenyl)amino-1-chloro-5-mesityldipyrrin and 9-(4-(diphenylamino)phenyl)amino-1-chloro-5-mesityldipyrrin (mesityl = 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl) with nickel(II) or copper(II) acetate afforded the corresponding metal(II) complexes of TADAP–TA. The 20[Formula: see text], 19[Formula: see text], and 18[Formula: see text] oxidation states of the DAP ring in the TADAP – TAs were reversibly interconvertible by redox reactions. NMR spectroscopy of the 20[Formula: see text] and 18[Formula: see text] Ni-TADAP – TAs revealed their antiaromatic and aromatic characters, respectively, whereas electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy of the 19[Formula: see text] Ni-TADAP–TAs showed effective delocalization of an unshared electron spin in the DAP ring. The interconversion between the three oxidation states of TADAP – TAs also caused a distinct change in the optical properties of the DAP [Formula: see text]-electron system. Notably, all the 18[Formula: see text] dications exhibited weak and broad absorption bands in the near infrared region owing to the charge-transfer from the peripheral tertiary amine units (donor) to the cationic DAP center (acceptor). Cyclic voltammetry of TADAP – TAs exhibited the reversible 20[Formula: see text]/19[Formula: see text] and 19[Formula: see text]/18[Formula: see text] redox couples and the irreversible amine oxidation at the periphery. The electrochemical oxidation of the Ni-TADAP–triphenylamine conjugate generated reactive ammoniumyl radicals, which underwent intermolecular coupling to form a polymer of TADAP–TA on the electrode surface.

(Porphyrinyl)dicyanomethyl radicals were produced by oxidation of dicyanomethyl-substituted porphyrins with PbO2. These radicals constitute a rare example displaying stable radical versus dynamic covalent chemistry (DCC) depending upon the substitution position of the dicyanomethyl radical. meso-Dicyanomethyl-substituted radicals exist as stable monomeric species and do not undergo any dimerization processes either in the solid state or in solution. In contrast, β-dicyanomethyl-substituted radicals are isolated as σ-dimers that are stable in the solid-state but display reversible σ-dimerization behavior in solution; monomeric radical species exist predominantly at high temperatures, while σ-dimerization is favoured at low temperatures. This dynamic behaviour has been confirmed by variable-temperature ¹H NMR, UV-vis and EPR measurements. The structures of the stable radical and σ-dimer have been revealed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The observed different reactivities of the two (porphyrinyl)dicyanomethyl radicals have been rationalized in terms of their spin delocalization behaviours.

In known singlet diradicaloid molecules, two inherent radicals are interacted antiferromagnetically as a result of delicate energetic balances between closed-shell and open-shell states. Reported herein is that gallium(III) metalations of triply linked corrole dimers provide face-to-face dimers, with two μ-hydroxo-bridges, and they display curved π-planes nearing each other at about 3.24 A. Based on ESR and SQUID measurements, and theoretical calculations, the dimers have been assigned as singlet diradicaloids that consist of two monoradicals each delocalized on the triply linked corrole dimer planes. Therefore, it is concluded that the dimers have unusual open-shell states stabilized by large through-space spin-exchange interactions.

Organic neutral radicals have been predicted to exhibit various electronic functions such as electrical conduction. However, most organic neutral radicals are insulators, because they cannot form sufficient intermolecular interactions due to the bulky substituent groups required for stabilization. Here we report that one-dimensional assemblies of carbon-centered neutral π-radicals, namely 4,8,12,trioxotriangulene derivatives, possess effective conducting pathways as a result of strong intermolecular interactions based on two-electron-multicenter bonding. The columns of trioxotriangulene derivatives with weak π-dimerization and uniform π-stacking exhibit semiconducting behaviors, with high conductivities of ~10−3 S cm−1 as a single component purely organic molecular system. We exploit this general tendency to form one-dimensional assemblies, and the large 25 π-electronic system with a robust condensed polycyclic structure, to obtain mixed-valence salts consisting of neutral radicals and the corresponding anionic species with a higher room-temperature conductivity of 1–125 S cm−1. Conductive organic materials have promising potential applications in molecular electronics, but a limit range of conductive organic structures are known. Here a series of trioxotriangulenes and their mixed-valence salts are characterized; one mixed-valence salt exhibits conductivity of 125 S cm−1 at room temperature.

The synthesis and optical, electrochemical, and magnetic properties of nickel(II) complexes of 5,10,20-triaryl-5,15-diazaporphyrin (TriADAP) are reported. Metal-templated cyclization of unsymmetrically substituted nickel(II)–bis(1-amino-9-chloro-5-mesityldipyrrin; mesityl = 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl) complexes afforded the corresponding TriADAPs or 5-aryl-15-benzyl-10,20-dimesityl-5,15-diazaporphyrin, depending on the combination of base and solvent. The latter macrocycle was converted to TriADAP by deprotection of the [Formula: see text]-benzyl group through Pd/C-promoted hydrogenation. TriADAPs were isolated in both 18[Formula: see text] (cation) and 19[Formula: see text] (neutral) forms. The interconversion between these two oxidation states resulted in a distinct change in the optical properties of the DAP [Formula: see text]-system. NMR spectroscopy of the 18[Formula: see text] TriADAP cations showed that they had aromatic character, whereas EPR spectroscopy of the 19[Formula: see text] TriADAP showed a highly delocalized electron spin of the [Formula: see text]-radical. The para substituents of the [Formula: see text]-aryl groups of TriADAPs had a small but distinct impact on their HOMO and LUMO energies. The change in the net charge of one electron was directly reflected in the redox properties of the DAP ring; TriADAP was more easily reduced and less easily oxidized than DAP. The difference in the net charge was also reflected by the shielding of the pyrrolic [Formula: see text]-protons observed in the [Formula: see text]H NMR spectra. The present results confirm that TriADAP is a highly promising framework for constructing a new class of azaporphyrin-based materials with 18[Formula: see text]–19[Formula: see text] redox-switchable optical and magnetic properties.

Trimethylenemethane (TMM) diradical is the simplest non-Kekule non-disjoint molecule with the triplet ground state (ΔEST =+16.1 kcal mol-1 ) and is extremely reactive. It is a challenge to design and synthesize a stable TMM diradical with key properties, such as actual aliphatic TMM diradical centers and the triplet ground state with a large positive ΔEST value, since such species provide detailed information on the electronic structure of TMM diradical. Herein we report a TMM derivative, in which the TMM segment is fused with three NiII meso-triarylporphyrins, that satisfies the above criteria. The diradical shows delocalized spin density on the propeller-like porphyrin π-network and the triplet ground state owing to the strong ferromagnetic interaction. Despite the apparent TMM structure, the diradical can be handled under ambient conditions and can be stored for months in the solid state, thus allowing its X-ray diffraction structural analysis.

Control of open-shell character of meso-meso linked porphyrin meso-oxy radical dimers has been demonstrated by core metalation. Namely, NiII -porphyrin dimer 6Ni exhibits a clear 1 H NMR spectrum and a distorted but rather coplanar quinonoidal structure consisting of two ruffled porphyrin rings, in accordance with the previous report. Freebase dimer 6H2 shows a similar quinonoidal structure in the solid state but displays slightly broader and temperature-dependent 1 H NMR spectra, indicating a partial diradical character in solution that increases at high temperature. In sharp contrast, bis-imidazole-coordinated ZnII -porphyrin dimer 6ZnIm2 exhibits a perpendicular structure consisting of two planar ZnII -porphyrins and has been characterized as a distinct open-shell diradical on the basis of its non-observable 1 H NMR signals, a clear ESR signal, and a characteristic absorption spectrum reaching about 1700 nm. Despite the distinct diradical character, 6ZnIm2 is an extremely stable molecule.

Stable helical radicals are promising multi-functional molecules in light of intriguing magnetic and chiroptical properties. Attempts were made to extend diphenylmethyl-fused NiII porphyrin radical to helical system as the first air-stable organic neutral helical radicals. Intramolecular Pd-catalyzed twofold C-H arylation of methyl- or methoxy-introduced meso-diphenylmethyl NiII porphyrins gave a mixture of the target and rearranged radicals. Oxidative fusion reaction of meso-(bis(1-naphthyl)methyl) NiII porphyrins provided doubly fused NiII porphyrin radicals. One of the helical radicals was separated into enantiomers that showed mirror-image circular dichroism (CD) spectra up to 1300 nm. The helical dinaphthylmethyl-fused NiII porphyrin radical displayed solid-state magnetic property mostly arising from monomeric radicals, different from the parent diphenylmethyl-fused NiII porphyrin radical that showed antiferromagnetic coupling due to π-stacked pairing.

Most aminyl radicals studied so far are resonance-stabilized by neighboring heteroatoms, and those without such stabilization are usually short-lived. We report herein that subporphyrin meso-2,4,6-trichlorophenylaminyl radicals and a bis(5-subporphyrinyl)aminyl radical are fairly stable under ambient conditions without such stabilization. The subporphyrin meso-2,4,6-trichlorophenylaminyl radical crystal structure displays a characteristically short Cmeso -N bond and a perpendicular arrangement of the meso-arylamino group. The stabilities of these radicals have been ascribed to extensive spin delocalization over the subporphyrin π-electronic network as well as steric protection around the aminyl radical center.

10,15,20-Tris(pentafluorophenyl)-substituted NiII -porphyrin meso-oxy radical bearing two coordinating pyridines was synthesized as a stable radical with a quartet ground state (S=3/2). X-ray structural analysis revealed that the NiII porphyrin moiety is fairly planar and the Ni-N bond lengths are considerably longer, indicating the high-spin state of the NiII center. The radical exhibited a quartet ground state, indicating the ferromagnetic interaction between the high-spin NiII center (S=1) and the porphyrin meso-oxy radical (S=1/2).

To investigate the intrinsic reactivity of atomic nitrogen, which had previously been accomplished only by examining its decay in the gas phase using special equipment, a nitrogen atom was inserted into a series of molecule-encapsulating C60 and C70 fullerenes. Among the studied endofullerenes, H2 @C70 was able to encapsulate an additional nitrogen atom within the fullerene cage under radiofrequency plasma conditions. The product was analyzed by ESR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry in solution, which revealed that the nitrogen atom with a quartet ground state does not react but weakly interact with the H2 molecule, thus demonstrating the utility of such fullerenes as "nanoflasks".

(Porphyrinyl)dicyanomethyl radicals were produced by oxidation of dicyanomethyl-substituted porphyrins with PbO2., (Porphyrinyl)dicyanomethyl radicals were produced by oxidation of dicyanomethyl-substituted porphyrins with PbO2. These radicals constitute a rare example displaying stable radical versus dynamic covalent chemistry (DCC) depending upon the substitution position of the dicyanomethyl radical. meso-Dicyanomethyl-substituted radicals exist as stable monomeric species and do not undergo any dimerization processes either in the solid state or in solution. In contrast, β-dicyanomethyl-substituted radicals are isolated as σ-dimers that are stable in the solid-state but display reversible σ-dimerization behavior in solution; monomeric radical species exist predominantly at high temperatures, while σ-dimerization is favoured at low temperatures. This dynamic behaviour has been confirmed by variable-temperature 1H NMR, UV-vis and EPR measurements. The structures of the stable radical and σ-dimer have been revealed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The observed different reactivities of the two (porphyrinyl)dicyanomethyl radicals have been rationalized in terms of their spin delocalization behaviours.

NH-bridged and pyrazine-fused metallodiazaporphyrin dimers have been prepared from nickel(II) and copper(II) complexes of 3-amino-5,15-diazaporphyrin by Pd-catalyzed C-N cross-coupling and oxidative dimerization reactions, respectively. The synergistic effects of the nitrogen bridges and meso-nitrogen atoms play major roles in enhancing the light-harvesting properties and delocalization of an electron spin over the entire π-skeletons of the metallodiazaporphyrin dimers.

Oxidative fusion reactions of meso-phenoxazino Ni(II) porphyrin were found to be temperature dependent, giving rise to either a doubly phenylene-fused product at room temperature or a singly phenoxazine-fused product at 70 °C. The latter was further oxidized to a doubly phenoxazine-fused Ni(II) porphyrin, which was subsequently converted to the corresponding free base porphyrin and Zn(II) porphyrin. Compared to previously reported diphenylamine-fused porphyrins that displayed a molecular twist, doubly phenoxazine-fused porphyrins exhibited distinctly different properties owing to their highly planar structures, such as larger fluorescence quantum yields, formation of an offset face-to-face dimer both in solution and the solid state, and the generation of a mixed-valence π-radical cation dimer upon electrochemical oxidation. One-electron oxidation of the phenoxazine-fused Ni(II) porphyrin with Magic Blue gave the corresponding radical cation, which was certainly stable and could be isolated by separation over a silica gel column but slowly chlorinated at the reactive β-positions in the solid state. This finding led to us to examine β, β′-dichlorinated phenoxazine-fused and diphenylamine-fused Ni(II) porphyrins, which, upon treatment with Magic Blue, provided remarkably stable radical cations to an unprecedented level. It is actually possible to purify these radical cations by silica gel chromatography, and they can be stored for over 6 months without any sign of deterioration. Moreover, they exhibited no degradation even after the CH2Cl2 solution was washed with water. However, subtle structural differences (planar versus partly twisted) led to different crystal packing structures and solid-state magnetic properties.

The direct fusion of a diphenylmethane segment to a Ni(II) 5,10,15-triarylporphyrin with three linkages furnished an air- and moisture-stable neutral radical through unexpected and spontaneous oxidation. This radical was demetalated by treatment with H2 SO4 and CF3 CO2 H to provide the corresponding free-base radical. These porphyrin radicals are very stable owing to spin delocalization and have been fully characterized through UV/Vis/NIR absorption spectroscopy, X-ray crystallographic analysis, magnetic susceptibility measurements, electrochemical studies, laser-based ultrafast spectroscopic studies, and theoretical calculations. They were chemically oxidized and reduced to the corresponding cation and anion but did not react with hydrogen-atom donors.

Near-infrared two-photon (NIR-2P) uncaging reactions are useful for precise investigations of the roles of biologically active compounds in various phenomena. In this study, we synthesized new NIR-2P-responsive chromophores with terphenyl backbones featuring an ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid (EGTA) unit as a Ca2+-selective chelator. The photolabile Ca2+ chelators were synthesized in high yields (83 % for 1a, 45 % for 1b) from commercially available starting materials. One- and two-photon photochemical excitations of the synthesized terphenyl derivatives featuring two different electron-donating groups (dimethylamino (NMe2) and methoxyl (OMe)), which were thermally stable at least 36 h at 37 C in HEPES buffer (pH 7.4), were conducted to clarify the substituent effect on the photophysical and photochemical properties. The NMe2 group, which is a stronger electron-donating group, has led to a higher two-photon cross-section (σ2 = 75 GM at 780 nm) compared to the OMe group (σ2 = 9 GM at 720 nm) in a pH = 7.4 HEPES buffer solution, although the molar extinction coefficient (e) of the NMe2-substituted one (e = 10,371 at λmax =363 nm) was lower than that of the OMe-derivative (e = 14,351 at λmax = 344 nm). The quantum yield (Φ = 0.04) for the decomposition of the NMe2-substituted caged compound was lower than that for the OMe-substituted caged compound (Φ = 0.40). One and two-photon uncaging efficiency values of the OMe substituted compound, e × Φ = 5740 and σ2 × Φ = 3.6, were higher than those of the NMe2-substituted compound, 415 and 3.0, respectively. Laser flash photolysis experiments clarified the decay rate constants (2.5 × 106 and 1.1 × 102 s−1) of aci-nitro intermediates formed during the uncaging process. A concentration jump of Ca2+ was confirmed in the photolysis of caged calcium compounds newly synthesized in this study, indicating the terphenyl derivatives can be also utilized in physiological experiments. The corresponding acetoxymethyl esters were also prepared for physiological studies.

Cofacial assemblies of metalloporphyrinoids represent a fascinating platform for the fabrication of novel functional molecular assemblies based on π–π, d–d, and d–π interactions between components. In this paper, we present a novel synthetic strategy for the programmable arrangement of different metal ions inside a cofacially stacked trimer of porphyrinoids. A combination of two different assemblies was utilized for our purpose: a tetracationic fourfold rotaxane heterodimer between a porphyrin with four alkylammonium chains and a phthalocyanine bearing four peripheral crown ethers, and a stacked assembly between the fourfold rotaxane heterodimer and an additional tetraanionic porphyrin. Three metal ions, namely Cu(II), Ag(II), and Au(III), were arranged inside the cofacially stacked assembly of three porphyrinoids. Moreover, paramagnetic Cu(II) ions were arranged inside a cofacially stacked heterotrimer of porphyrinoids and were precisely programmed, affording the desired spin–spin communications as readable information. These results indicated that the developed strategy is effective for arranging various metal ions in cofacially stacked assemblies of porphyrinoids toward the creation of molecular tags or bar codes.

5,15-Dioxaporphyrin was synthesized for the first time by a nucleophilic aromatic substitution reaction of a nickel bis(α,α'-dibromodipyrrin) complex with benzaldoxime, followed by an intramolecular annulation of the α-hydroxy-substituted intermediate. This unprecedented molecule is a 20π-electron antiaromatic system, in terms of Huckel's rule of aromaticity, because lone pair electrons of oxygen atoms are incorporated into the 18π-electron conjugated system of the porphyrin. A theoretical analysis based on the gauge-including magnetically induced current method confirmed its antiaromaticity and a dominant inner ring pathway for the ring current. The unique reactivity of 5,15-dioxaporphyrin forming a β,β-linked dimer upon oxidation was also revealed.

The first examples of air-stable 20π-electron 5,10,15,20-tetraaryl-5,15-diaza-5,15-dihydroporphyrins, their 18π-electron dications, and the 19π-electron radical cation were prepared through metal-templated annulation of nickel(II) bis(5-arylamino-3-chloro-8-mesityldipyrrin) complexes followed by oxidation. The neutral 20π-electron derivatives are antiaromatic and the cationic 18π-electron derivatives are aromatic in terms of the magnetic criterion of aromaticity. The meso N atoms in these diazaporphyrinoids give rise to characteristic redox and optical properties for the compounds that are not typical of isoelectronic 5,10,15,20-tetraarylporphyrins.

1H NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) and high-field ESR (electron spin resonance) measurements were carried out for self-doped organic conductors in the ammonium tetrathiapentalene carboxylate (TTPCOO)2[(NH41+)1–x(NH30)x ] system. While the pristine TTPCOOH molecule is closed-shell, self-doped carriers are generated by substitution of the carboxyl proton by (NH30) and (NH41+), which can be regarded as a charge reservoir. The π-extended system TTPCOO has a uniaxial g -tensor, indicating a 2D isotropic structure such as a herring-bone-like or parallel cross donor arrangement. The NMR-relaxation rate indicated the Korringa relation in the temperature dependence, and the ESR linewidth followed the Elliot mechanism. Both of these observations provide supporting evidence for a stable metallic state. In this paper, we introduce self-doped organic conductors as a branch of materials design, and emphasize that advanced magnetic resonance measurements are powerful tools for developing functional materials. (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

By developing metallophthalocyanines and diimides as electron-donating and -accepting building blocks, herein, we report the construction of new electron donor-acceptor covalent organic frameworks (COFs) with periodically ordered electron donor and acceptor π-columnar arrays via direct polycondensation reactions. X-ray diffraction measurements in conjunction with structural simulations resolved that the resulting frameworks consist of metallophthalocyanine and diimide columns, which are ordered in a segregated yet bicontinuous manner to form built-in periodic π-arrays. In the frameworks, each metallophthalocyanine donor and diimide acceptor units are exactly linked and interfaced, leading to the generation of superheterojunctions-a new type of heterojunction machinery, for photoinduced electron transfer and charge separation. We show that this polycondensation method is widely applicable to various metallophthalocyanines and diimides as demonstrated by the combination of copper, nickel, and zinc phthalocyanine donors with pyrommellitic diimide, naphthalene diimide, and perylene diimide acceptors. By using time-resolved transient absorption spectroscopy and electron spin resonance, we demonstrated that the COFs enable long-lived charge separation, whereas the metal species, the class of acceptors, and the local geometry between donor and acceptor units play roles in determining the photochemical dynamics. The results provide insights into photoelectric COFs and demonstrate their enormous potential for charge separation and photoenergy conversions.

The syntheses and optical/electrochemical properties of 3-aryl-10,20-dimesityl-5,15-diazaporphyrin-metal complexes (MDAPs; mesityl = 2,4,6-trimethylphenyl; M = Ni , Zn ) are reported. Treatment of 3-bromo-MDAPs with arylboronic acids in the presence of a Pd catalyst and a bulky phosphine ligand in a dioxane-water mixed solvent afforded the corresponding 3-aryl-MDAPs in moderate to good yields. X-ray crystallographic analysis of p- EtO 2 CC 6 H 4- NiDAP showed that the β-aryl group was tilted toward the NiDAP ring, with a dihedral angle of 21.7°. In the UV-visible absorption spectra, all the Ar-MDAPs showed intense Q-bands attributable to HOMO-to-LUMO transitions. The para substituents were found to influence the HOMO energies, which eventually resulted in fine tuning of the HOMO–LUMO gaps of the diazaporphyrin chromophores. It is worth noting that the p- Ph 2 NC 6 H 4- ZnDAP showed broad absorption and emission bands in the visible-near-infrared regions. The large Stokes shifts and their linear solvation energy relationships vs. orientation polarizability show that this Ph 2 N -substituted derivative has intrinsically high charge transfer from the triphenylamine (donor) to the ZnDAP (acceptor) unit. These experimental observations were supported by theoretical calculations for model Ar-ZnDAP compounds. These results confirm that the introduction of a highly electron-donating aryl group at the peripheral β-carbon is a promising strategy for enhancing the light-harvesting and light-emitting abilities of diazaporphyrin-based π-systems in the visible-near-infrared regions.

We have clarified and observed the high electron affinity of pinB-BMes2 (1; Mes = mesityl, pin = pinacolato). By using electrochemistry, it was shown that 1 has a higher electron affinity than those of B2pin2 and Mes3B. One-electron reduction of 1 gave the corresponding radical anion. The ESR spectroscopy and DFT calculation revealed the unsymmetrical distribution of electron density over the B-B bond. UV/Vis spectroscopy showed that the SOMO-related absorption supports the deep purple color of the radical anion. DFT studies on the torsion angle dependency of the LUMO levels and relative energies revealed the reason why 1 has high electron affinity as a result of the substituent effect of the Bpin group.

Materials based on biradicals/biradicaloids have potential applications for organic electronics, photonics and spintronics. In this work, we demonstrated that hybridization of porphyrin and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon could lead to a new type of stable biradicals/biradicaloids with tunable ground state and physical property. Mono- and bis-phenalenyl fused porphyrins 1 and 2 were synthesized via an intramolecular Friedel–Crafts alkylation-followed-by oxidative dehydrogenation strategy. Our detailed experimental and theoretical studies revealed that 1 has a closed-shell structure with a small biradical character (y = 0.06 by DFT calculation) in the ground state, while 2 exists as a persistent triplet biradical at room temperature under inert atmosphere. Compound 1 underwent hydrogen abstraction from solvent during the crystal growing process while compound 2 was easily oxidized in air to give two dioxo-porphyrin isomers 11a/11b, which can be correlated to their unique biradical character and spin distribution. The physical properties of 1 and 2, their dihydro/tetrahydro-precursors 7/10, and the dioxo-compounds 11a/11b were investigated and compared.

Regulation of electron transfer on organic substances by external stimuli is a fundamental issue in science and technology, which affects organic materials, chemical synthesis, and biological metabolism. Nevertheless, acid/base-responsive organic materials that exhibit reversible electron transfer have not been well studied and developed, owing to the difficulty in inventing a mechanism to associate acid/base stimuli and electron transfer. We discovered a new phenomenon in which N–N linked bicarbazole (BC) and tetramethylbiacridine (TBA) derivatives undergo electron transfer disproportionation by acid stimulus, forming their stable radical cations and reduced species. The reaction occurs through a biradical intermediate generated by the acid-triggered N–N bond cleavage reaction of BC or TBA, which acts as a two electron acceptor to undergo electron transfer reactions with two equivalents of BC or TBA. In addition, in the case of TBA the disproportionation reaction is highly reversible through neutralization with NEt3, which recovers TBA through back electron transfer and N–N bond formation reactions. This highly reversible electron transfer reaction is possible due to the association between the acid stimulus and electron transfer via the acid-regulated N–N bond cleavage/formation reactions which provide an efficient switching mechanism, the ability of the organic molecules to act as multi-electron donors and acceptors, the extraordinary stability of the radical species, the highly selective reactivity, and the balance of the redox potentials. This discovery provides new design concepts for acid/base-regulated organic electron transfer systems, chemical reagents, or organic materials.

A contracted doubly N-confused dioxohexaphyrin(1.1.1.1.1.0) complex consisting of two paramagnetic copper metals and open-shell π-radical ligand was synthesized as a new multi-heterospin motif. X-ray spectroscopy supported the divalent character of the inner copper centers, and electron paramagnetic resonance and magnetometric studies suggested the presence of unpaired d electrons strongly antiferromagnetically coupled with π-radicals delocalized on the macrocycle. The 25 π non-innocent dioxohexaphyrin ligand allowed the facile interconversion between antiaromatic 24 π and aromatic 26 π species, respectively, upon redox reactions.

New allene compounds, 5c and 5d, bearing 1,8-dichloroacridene moieties were synthesized, and the oxidation of 5c and 5d was performed to generate thermally stable triplet carbenes. Since the oxidation resulted in the formation of decomposition products, the photolysis of brominated allene compound 18 was performed. UV–vis measurement at low temperatures indicated the generation of intermediates with decreasing starting material 18, although the efficiency of photolysis was quite low. ESR and electron spin transient nutation (ESTN) spectra suggested that the multiplicity of intermediates is triplet, probably the target triplet carbene 6d is generated. In terms of |D| values of the intermediates, ESR showed that unpaired electrons are more effectively delocalized in 6d by the introduction of nitrogen atoms in the skeleton (biradical character in Scheme 1). The observed triplet species 6d was not stable enough to isolate. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The treatment of an antiaromatic norcorrole Ni(II) complex with a kinetically stabilized silylene provided ring-expansion products in excellent yields through the highly regio- and stereoselective insertion into the β-β pyrrolic CC bonds. The resultant Ni(II) porphyrinoid monoinsertion product exhibited relatively strong near-IR absorption bands due to the small HOMO-LUMO gap in spite of the disrupted cyclic π-conjugation by the silicon atom.

Alkyloctamethylferrocenium salts with the Tf2N anion ([Fe(C5Me4C(n)H(2n+1))(C5Me4H)][Tf2N]; Tf2N = bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)amide) were prepared, and their ionic liquid properties, thermal properties, crystal structures, and magnetic properties were investigated. The melting points of the Tf2N salts were near room temperature, and decreased with increasing alkyl chain length up to n = 8 and then increased. The salts with PF6 and NO3 anions were also prepared. The melting points of the PF6 salts were higher than 100 °C. Most of these salts exhibited phase transitions in the solid state. The sum of the entropies of the melting and solid phase transitions was nearly independent of the alkyl chain length for salts with short alkyl chains, whereas those for salts with longer alkyl chains (n≥ 10 for Tf2N salts, n≥ 6 for PF6 salts) increased with increasing alkyl chain length. Crystal structure determinations revealed that the short chain salts form simple alternately packed structures of cations and anions in the solid state, and that the long chain salts form lamellar structures, in which the alkyl chains are aligned parallel between the layers. The effects of magnetic fields on the crystallization of the paramagnetic ionic liquids were investigated, and revealed that the Tf2N salts with n = 4 exhibited magnetic orientation when solidified under magnetic fields. The magnetic orientation was shown to be a bulk phenomenon, and the importance of the magnetic anisotropy of the crystal structure was suggested in comparison with the response of other Tf2N salts.

10,15,20-Tris(pentafluorophenyl)-substituted Ni

To explore stable organic diradicaloids, meso-thienylquinonoid-substituted porphyrins Pn and hexaphyrins Hn, where "n" denotes the number of thienyl units in the meso-substituents, were synthesized. P0 was identified as a closed-shell quinonoid, whereas P1 was shown to possess significant diradical character with diradical character index (y) of 0.99 and quite small singlet-triplet energy gap (ΔES-T ) of -0.13 kcal mol-1 . P1 was certainly stable, allowing its isolation, but decomposed gradually in solution. In the hexaphyrin series, it was shown that H0 and H1 were closed-shell quinonoids, but H2 was a highly stable diradicaloid with y=0.85 and ΔES-T of -3.72 kcal mol-1 . The high stability of H2 was ascribed to effective spin delocalization over the entire conjugated network. Characteristically, H2 displays an intense absorption band in NIR region at λmax =1175 nm with molar absorption coefficient (ϵ) of 8.81×104 mol-1 L cm-1 , a narrow HOMO-LUMO gap of 0.69 eV, and nine reversible redox potential waves.

To investigate the intrinsic reactivity of atomic nitrogen, which had previously been accomplished only by examining its decay in the gas phase using special equipment, a nitrogen atom was inserted into a series of molecule-encapsulating C

C.K. acknowledges the HPC resources of CINES and IDRIS under the allocations 2016-[x2016080649] made by GENCI.; International audience; A caged carboxylic acid with a novel two-photon (TP)-responsive donor-π-donor coumarin backbone with a quadrupolar nature was designed and synthesized in this study. The newly synthesized coumarin derivative showed a strong one-photon (OP) absorption band (ε ≈ 29000 cm M) in the visible region (>∼400 nm). Time-dependent density functional theory calculations predicted a sizable TP absorption cross-section with a maximum at ∼650 nm significantly lager than that related to the OP absorption band. This is confirmed experimentally using TP excited fluorescence in the fs regime that leads to TP absorption cross-section of 18 and 5.6 GM at 680 and 760 nm, respectively. The OP photolysis (400 nm) and near-infrared-TP photolysis (750 nm) of the caged benzoic acid resulted in a clean formation of benzoic acid and an aldehyde.

The donor–acceptor heterojunction is a key structure in current technologies, including transistors, light-emitting diodes, and photovoltaics, because it controls the charge dynamics in the devices. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are crystalline molecular skeletons that allow atomically precise integration of building blocks into periodic array structures. In this regard, we have demonstrated arene, porphyrin, and phthalocyanine COFs that provide periodically ordered columnar arrays of p-components and show outstanding semiconducting and photoconductive properties. We recently synthesized a donor–acceptor COF that gives rise to a periodically ordered bicontinuous heterojunction structure and self-sorted donor and acceptor columnar arrays separated at nanometer-scale intervals. This nanoscopic segregation morphology forms a broad interface for charge separation, provides ambipolar pathways for charge collection, and would be ideal for the current semiconducting devices that involve photoenergy transformations; however, the charge dynamics, which is a key mechanism that controls the energy transformation, remains unclear. Here, we report the charge dynamics of a donor–acceptor COF, which were determined using time-resolved spectroscopy to elucidate the photochemical processes of the free charges from their generation to delocalization and retention. In the COF, the heterojunctions allow an ultrafast electron transfer from the donor to the acceptor columns. Consequently, the light absorption is directly coupled with charge dissociation to generate free charges in the donor and acceptor p-columns within 2 ps. On the other hand, the stacked p-columns delocalize the charges, suppress charge recombination, and retain the charges for a prolonged period of time. We show that both solvated and solid-state COFs enable rapid charge separation and exceptional long-term charge retention, thereby providing a key mechanistic basis to envisage the high potential of donor–acceptor COFs for photoelectric applications. The donor–acceptor COF (Scheme 1a, DZnPc-ANDI-COF) is a tetragonal, mesoporous 2D framework that is composed of zinc phthalocyanine as an electron donor and naphthalene diimide as an acceptor. In the COF, the two p-units are alternately linked within an electron-transfer distance and at a dihedral angle of approximately 428. The COF provides selfsorted, bicontinuous columnar arrays and constitutes periodically structured heterojunctions in which each donor column is interfaced with four acceptor columns that are equally active in capturing photo-generated electrons (Scheme 1b). The DZnPc-ANDI-COF absorbs light over a broad visible and near-infrared region up to 1100 nm (Figure S1 in the Supporting Information). Elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and electron microscopy confirmed the formation of the COF (Figure S2–S4 and Table S1). The same COF has been reported as a thin film. The DZnPc-ANDI-COF exhibited a type IV nitrogen sorption curve that is characteristic of mesoporous frameworks (Figure 1a). The Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area and pore volume were calculated as 1410 mg 1 and 1.25 cmg , respectively. The pore-size distribution profile with a range up

International audience; Among biologically active compounds, calcium ions (Ca2+) are one of the most important species in cell physiological functions. Development of new calcium chelators with two-photon absorption (TPA) properties is a state-of-the-art challenge for chemists. In this study, we report the first and efficient synthesis of 5-bromo-2-nitrobenzyl-substituted ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid (EGTA) as a platform for a new generation of calcium chelators with TPA properties in the near-infrared region. New calcium chelators with high TPA properties, that is, a two-photon (TP) fragmentation efficiency of δu = 20.7 GM at 740 nm for 2-(4-nitrophenyl)benzofuran (NPBF)-substituted EGTA (NPBF-EGTA, Kd = 272 nM) and δu = 7.8 GM at 800 nm for 4-amino-4′-nitro-1,1′-biphenyl (BP)-substituted EGTA (BP-EGTA, Kd = 440 nM) derivatives, were synthesized using Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reactions of the bromide with benzofuran-2-boronic acid and 4-(dimethylamino)phenyl boronic acid, respectively. The corresponding acetoxymethyl (AM) esters were prepared and successfully applied to the Ca2+-uncaging reaction triggered by TP photolysis in vivo.

The dry grinding of a mixture of bis(ethylenedithio)tetrathiafulvalene (BEDT-TTF) and silica nanoparticles has produced powdery (BEDT-TTF)–silica nanocomposites. The (BEDT-TTF)–silica nanocomposites are readily doped with iodine in hexane dispersion to give powdery nanocomposites of (BEDT-TTF)2I3–silica. XRD and TEM measurements suggest that (BEDT-TTF)2I3 in the nanocomposite exists as shell layers of core-shell-type nanoparticles and as nanometre-sized crystals incorporated into hollow sites of aggregated silica nanoparticles. Magnetic susceptibility measurements reveal that the nanocomposites accompanied a large number of Curie spins attributable to surface molecules of the core-shell-type nanoparticles. The nanocomposites show a magnetic susceptibility change corresponding to the metal-insulator transition of α-(BEDT-TTF)2I3 in a broad temperature range of 110–140 K, which is attributed to the properties of the nanocrystalline components. Doping in diethyl ether dispersion leads to higher amounts of the nanocrystalline component being obtained. The doping of (BEDT-TTF)–silica nanocomposites by dry grinding produces a paramagnetic powder containing amorphous (BEDT-TTF)2I3, which possesses a Curie spin concentration of 50%. The effects of annealing on these nanocomposites are investigated. The electrical conductivity of the compaction pellets of (BEDT-TTF)–silica nanocomposites is enhanced by iodine doping to reach approximately 10−6 S cm−1, but the value is much lower than that of the bulk crystals (101 S cm−1).