Switching on luminescence by the self-assembly of a platinum(II) complex into gelating nanofibers and electroluminescent films

Triplet emitters based on platinum(II) complexes have gained major attention in recent times. They can form aggregates or excimers, causing shifts in the emitted wavelengths and affecting the photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQYs). Even though this effect can be exploited for the construction of white organic light emitting diodes (WOLEDs), it is disadvantageous for applications where color purity is desirable. Terpyridine ligands and their N^C^N and N^N^C analogues have been coordinated to platinum(II), leading to neutral, mono-, or doubly charged species, some of which display bright luminescence. They can form supramolecular structures, such as nanowires, nanosheets, and polymeric mesophases, with interesting optical properties. For low-molecular-weight organoor hydrogelators, the operating mechanism of gelation has been recognized as a supramolecular effect, where the constituting fibers, usually of microscale lengths and nanoscale diameters, are formed in solution predominantly by unidirectional self-assembly. The entanglement of filaments gives a network that entraps solvent molecules within the compartments. As supramolecular gels provide fibrous aggregates with long-range order, they could be of interest in the fields of optoelectronic devices and sensors. In this context, organometallic gelators can display metal–metal interactions that influence their properties. Herein we present a straightforward one-pot synthesis of neutral, soluble platinum(II) coordination compounds bearing a dianionic tridentate terpyridine-like ligand. The coordination of an alkyl pyridine ancillary moiety to the 2,6bis(tetrazolyl)pyridine complex allowed us to enhance the solubility and thus the processability. The synthetic approach involved mild reaction conditions that involved a nonnucleophilic base and an adequate inorganic platinum(II) precursor. Moistureand oxygen exclusion were not required, and the product was easily purified by repeated precipitation (Scheme 1). The emission intensity of the complex attained a