Changing the Nature of the Chelating Ligand of Tetracoordinate Boron-Containing PAH Multi-resonant Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence Emitters Tunes the Emission from Green to Deep Red

Multi-resonant thermally activated delayed fluorescence (MR-TADF) materials have attracted considerable attention recently. The molecular design frequently incorporates cycloboration. However, to the best of our knowledge MR-TADF compounds containing nitrogen chelation to boron is still unknown. Reported herein is a new class of tetracoordinate boron-containing MR-TADF emitters bearing a C^N^C- and N^N^N-chelating ligands. We demonstrate that the replacement of B−C covalent bond in C^N^C-chelating ligand by B−N covalent bond affords a regioisomer, which dramatically influences the optoelectronic properties of the molecule. The resulting N^N^N-chelating compounds show bathochromically shifted absorption and emission spectra relative to C^N^C-chelating compounds. The incorporation of tert-butylcarbazole group to the 4-position of the pyridine significantly enhances both the thermal stability and the reverse intersystem crossing rate, yet has a negligible effect on the emission properties. Consequently, high-performance hyperfluorescence organic light-emitting diodes (HF-OLEDs) that utilize these molecules as green and yellow-green emitters show maximum external quantum efficiency (ηext) of 11.5% and 25.1%, and a suppressed efficiency roll-off with ηext of 10.2% and 18.7% at a luminance of 1000 cd m−2, respectively.

The preparation and characterization of structurally stable 5-coordinate polystannanes

Tetraorganotin compounds [2-(MeOCH2)C6H4]SnR3 (R = Me, n-Bu, Ph) containing a C,O-chelating ligand were prepared in good yield from the reaction of the R3SnCl and [2-(MeOCH2)C6H4]Li. Tethered organotin compounds Ph3Sn(CH2)3OC6H4R (R = Ph, H, CF3, OCH3) were prepared in good yield from the hydrostannylation reactions of the corresponding vinyl ethers with Ph3SnH. Conversion of two organotin compounds to triorganotin chlorides and diorganotin chlorides, (Ph3-nClnSn(CH2)3OC6H4R; R = H, Ph: n = 1, 2), was successfully carried out and characterisation afforded by NMR spectroscopy. X-ray crystallographic studies revealed a tetrahedral geometry for the tetraorganotin Ph3Sn(CH2)3OC6H4CF3, while five-coordinate trigonal bipyramidal structures with relatively short Sn-O (2.7-2.8 Å) interactions were observed for both mono- (Ph2ClSn(CH2)3OC6H4R; R = H, Ph) and dichloride (PhCl2Sn(CH2)3OC6H4R; R = H, Ph) species. Penta-coordinate diorganotin dichlorides containing a C,N- chelating ligand[2-(Me2NCH2)C6H4]RSnCl2 (R = Me, n-Bu, Ph) or C,O- chelating ligand [2-(MeOCH2)C6H4]RSnCl2 (R = Me, n-Bu, Ph) were prepared by treating RSnCl3 with the lithiated salts [2-(Me2NCH2)C6H4]Li and [2-(MeOCH2)C6H4]Li respectively. Organotin chlorides were successfully reduced with LiAlH4 or NaBH4 to produce novel hydrides. Catalytic dehydrocoupling of diorganotin dihydrides to yield polystannanes was explored using a variety of dehydrocoupling catalysts such as Wilkinson’s catalyst, Cp2ZrMe2 or TMEDA. In almost every instance this resulted in the formation of yellow coloured gummy polymeric materials of moderate molecular weights (Mw = 1 × 104 - 1 × 105 Da) and PDI’s (1.3-2.0). The stability of polystannanes containing tethered O or C,N- or C,O-chelating ligands was investigated in both solid and in solution using NMR and UV-Vis spectroscopies. These studies revealed an enhanced stability to ambient light in the solid state and in solution in the dark when compared to known poly(dialkyl)stannanes.

The preparation and characterization of structurally stable 5-coordinate polystannanes

Tetraorganotin compounds [2-(MeOCH2)C6H4]SnR3 (R = Me, n-Bu, Ph) containing a C,O-chelating ligand were prepared in good yield from the reaction of the R3SnCl and [2-(MeOCH2)C6H4]Li. Tethered organotin compounds Ph3Sn(CH2)3OC6H4R (R = Ph, H, CF3, OCH3) were prepared in good yield from the hydrostannylation reactions of the corresponding vinyl ethers with Ph3SnH. Conversion of two organotin compounds to triorganotin chlorides and diorganotin chlorides, (Ph3-nClnSn(CH2)3OC6H4R; R = H, Ph: n = 1, 2), was successfully carried out and characterisation afforded by NMR spectroscopy. X-ray crystallographic studies revealed a tetrahedral geometry for the tetraorganotin Ph3Sn(CH2)3OC6H4CF3, while five-coordinate trigonal bipyramidal structures with relatively short Sn-O (2.7-2.8 Å) interactions were observed for both mono- (Ph2ClSn(CH2)3OC6H4R; R = H, Ph) and dichloride (PhCl2Sn(CH2)3OC6H4R; R = H, Ph) species. Penta-coordinate diorganotin dichlorides containing a C,N- chelating ligand[2-(Me2NCH2)C6H4]RSnCl2 (R = Me, n-Bu, Ph) or C,O- chelating ligand [2-(MeOCH2)C6H4]RSnCl2 (R = Me, n-Bu, Ph) were prepared by treating RSnCl3 with the lithiated salts [2-(Me2NCH2)C6H4]Li and [2-(MeOCH2)C6H4]Li respectively. Organotin chlorides were successfully reduced with LiAlH4 or NaBH4 to produce novel hydrides. Catalytic dehydrocoupling of diorganotin dihydrides to yield polystannanes was explored using a variety of dehydrocoupling catalysts such as Wilkinson’s catalyst, Cp2ZrMe2 or TMEDA. In almost every instance this resulted in the formation of yellow coloured gummy polymeric materials of moderate molecular weights (Mw = 1 × 104 - 1 × 105 Da) and PDI’s (1.3-2.0). The stability of polystannanes containing tethered O or C,N- or C,O-chelating ligands was investigated in both solid and in solution using NMR and UV-Vis spectroscopies. These studies revealed an enhanced stability to ambient light in the solid state and in solution in the dark when compared to known poly(dialkyl)stannanes.

A copper complex of an unusual hydroxy–carboxylate ligand: [Cu(bpy)(C4H4O6)]

A copper(II) complex, (2,2′-bipyridine-κ2 N,N′)[2-hydroxy-2-(hydroxymethyl-κO)propanedioato-κ2 O 1,O 3]copper(II), [Cu(C4H4O6)(C10H8N2)], containing the unusual anionic chelating ligand 2-(hydroxymethyl)tartronate, has been synthesized. [Cu(bpy)2(NO3)](NO3) was mixed with ascorbic acid and Dabco (1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane) in DMF (dimethylformamide) solution in the presence of air to produce the title compound. The structure consists of square-pyramidal complexes that are joined by Cu...O contacts [2.703 (2) Å] into centrosymmetric dimers. The C4H4O6 2− ligand, which occupies three coordination sites at Cu, has previously been identified as an oxidation product of ascorbate ion.