Sammual Yu-Lut Leung

Single-turn helix-coil strands stabilized by metal ⋯metal and π-π Interactions of the alkynylplatinum(II) terpyridyl moieties in meta -phenylene ethynylene foldamers

Dinuclear alkynylplatinum(II) terpyridyl complexes with oligomeric bridge consisting of five repeating meta-phenylene ethynylene (mPE) units have been found to exhibit a strong tendency to fold back onto themselves to form short helical strands through the stabilization of Pt···Pt and π-π interactions. The steric bulk of the terpyridine ligands and the length of the oligomeric bridge have been found to affect the extent of the intramolecular Pt···Pt interaction that governs the stabilization of the short helical strand in solution. Their folding properties via Pt···Pt and π-π stacking interactions have been studied by (1)H NMR, 2D ROESY NMR, electronic absorption, and emission spectroscopies.

Hierarchical helices of helices directed by Pt⋯Pt and π–π stacking interactions: reciprocal association of multiple helices of dinuclear alkynylplatinum(ii) complex with luminescence enhancement behavior

A dinuclear alkynylplatinum(II) terpyridine complex containing an amphiphilic binaphthol bridge was designed and synthesized, and was shown to display cylindrical columnar assemblies in aqueous acetonitrile solutions, presumably mediated by the Pt⋯Pt and π–π stacking interactions. The length of the binaphthol bridge was found to have a profound effect on the degree of helicity for hierarchical helices of helices and serves as a critical determinant in the formation of tertiary structures for foldamers. Interestingly, the reciprocal association of multiple helices has led to luminescence enhancement behavior, which provides a luminescence turn-on switch for the reporting of the hierarchical assembly of foldamers into higher-order structures, distinct from that of the pure organic systems. Such a transverse aggregation of multiple helices driven by metallophilic interactions has been studied by electronic absorption, circular dichroism, emission spectroscopy and electron microscopy.

Dynamic scaffold of chiral binaphthol derivatives with the alkynylplatinum(II) terpyridine moiety

Platinum(II)-containing complexes with inherently chiral binaphthol derivatives display a versatile scaffold between random coils and single-turn helical strands, in which the conformational transition is controlled by the Pt···Pt and π−π interactions of alkynylplatinum(II) terpyridine moiety upon solvent and temperature modulation. The bisignate Cotton effect in the circular dichroism spectra is indicative of the cooperative transformation from random coil state to a compact single-turn M- or P- helix. More importantly, as revealed by the appearance of new UV-vis absorption and emission bands during conformational change, the self-assembly of the platinum(II)-containing complex into a helical structure is assisted by the metal···metal and π−π interactions of the alkynylplatinum(II) terpyridine moieties. The folded structure with stabilization via metal···metal and π−π interactions has been supported by density functional theory calculations, which provide insights into the folded geometry of these kind of metallo-foldamers.

Transformable Nanostructures of Platinum-Containing Organosilane Hybrids: Non-covalent Self-Assembly of Polyhedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxanes Assisted by Pt···Pt and π–π Stacking Interactions of Alkynylplatinum(II) Terpyridine Moieties

An alkynylplatinum(II) terpyridine complex functionalized with polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxanes (POSS) moieties has been demonstrated to exhibit self-association behavior to give various distinguishable nanostructures with interesting morphological transformation from rings to rods in response to solvent conditions through the stabilization of Pt···Pt and π-π stacking interactions as well as hydrophobic-hydrophobic interactions. These changes can be systemically controlled by varying the solvent composition and have been studied by (1)H NMR, electron microscopy, UV-vis absorption, and emission spectroscopies.

Self-assembly of alkynylplatinum(II) terpyridine amphiphiles into nanostructures via steric control and metal-metal interactions

Significance Metallosupramolecular π-conjugated amphiphiles have emerged as a building block for supramolecular architectures owing to their interesting luminescence behavior and their propensity to form noncovalent metal–metal interactions. This work represents the first example, to our knowledge, of the alkynylplatinum(II) terpyridine system that can undergo supramolecular assembly into tubular nanostructures. The modulation on the steric bulk of the moieties could control the formation of the designated molecular architectures, ranging from nanotubes to helical ribbons. In addition, the uniqueness of the chromophores has allowed the study of their assembly processes, in which a mechanism of cooperative supramolecular polymerization into nanotubes has been elucidated. This study has provided an in-depth understanding into the supramolecular polymerization that occurs through noncovalent Pt···Pt and π−π stacking interactions. A series of mono- and dinuclear alkynylplatinum(II) terpyridine complexes containing the hydrophilic oligo(para-phenylene ethynylene) with two 3,6,9-trioxadec-1-yloxy chains was designed and synthesized. The mononuclear alkynylplatinum(II) terpyridine complex was found to display a very strong tendency toward the formation of supramolecular structures. Interestingly, additional end-capping with another platinum(II) terpyridine moiety of various steric bulk at the terminal alkyne would lead to the formation of nanotubes or helical ribbons. These desirable nanostructures were found to be governed by the steric bulk on the platinum(II) terpyridine moieties, which modulates the directional metal−metal interactions and controls the formation of nanotubes or helical ribbons. Detailed analysis of temperature-dependent UV-visible absorption spectra of the nanostructured tubular aggregates also provided insights into the assembly mechanism and showed the role of metal−metal interactions in the cooperative supramolecular polymerization of the amphiphilic platinum(II) complexes.

Luminescent Cyclometalated Alkynylplatinum(II) Complexes with a Tridentate Pyridine‐Based N‐Heterocyclic Carbene Ligand: Synthesis, Characterization, Electrochemistry, Photophysics, and Computational Studies

A new class of luminescent alkynylplatinum(II) complexes with a tridentate pyridine-based N-heterocyclic carbene (2,6-bis(1-butylimidazol-2-ylidenyl)pyridine) ligand, [Pt(II)(C^N^C)(C≡CR)][PF6], and their chloroplatinum(II) precursor complex, [Pt(II)(C^N^C)Cl][PF6], have been synthesized and characterized. One of the alkynylplatinum(II) complexes has also been structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography. The electrochemistry, electronic absorption and luminescence properties of the complexes have been studied. Nanosecond transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy has also been performed to probe the nature of the excited state. The origin of the absorption and emission properties has been supported by computational studies.

Self-Assembled Architectures of Alkynylplatinum(II) Amphiphiles and Their Structural Optimization: A Balance of the Interplay Among Pt···Pt, π–π Stacking, and Hydrophobic–Hydrophobic Interactions

A series of alkynylplatinum(II) terpyridine complexes with triethylene glycol units was synthesized, and their self-assembly properties were investigated in solution by UV-vis absorption, emission, and 1H NMR spectroscopy. The aggregation behaviors of several water-soluble complexes were investigated in aqueous media. Some of them were found to give rise to uniform fibers, suggesting the important role that triethylene glycol units has in regulating their self-assembly properties. Further modifications of these structures through the incorporation of alkyl chains and changes in counter-anions have rendered the complexes more amphiphilic in nature, and the effect of their alkyl chain lengths was studied and optimized. The distinguishable color and spectral changes upon variations in solvent compositions might have potential applications in developing colorimetric and luminescent probes for the detection of microenvironment change. Furthermore, an optimum chain length, i.e., n-butyl chain, is required for the formation of stable and ordered nanostructures. This represents a delicate balance among Pt···Pt, π-π stacking, and hydrophobic-hydrophobic interactions and provides guiding principles into the construction of supramolecular materials with practical applications.

Synthesis, Electrochemistry, and Photophysical Studies of Ruthenium(II) Polypyridine Complexes with D-π-A-π-D Type Ligands and Their Application Studies as Organic Memories.

A new class of ruthenium(II) polypyridine complexes with a series of D-π-A-π-D type (D=donor, A=acceptor) ligands was synthesized and characterized by 1 H NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and elemental analysis. The photophysical and electrochemical properties of the complexes were also investigated. The newly synthesized ruthenium(II) polypyridine complexes were found to exhibit two intense absorption bands at both high-energy (λ=333-369 nm) and low-energy (λ=520-535 nm) regions. They are assigned as intraligand (IL) π→π* transitions of the bipyridine (bpy) and π-conjugated bpy ligands, and IL charge-transfer (CT) transitions from the donor to the acceptor moiety with mixing of dπ(RuII )→π*(bpy) and dπ(RuII )→π*(L) MLCT characters, respectively. In addition, all complexes were demonstrated to exhibit intense red emissions at approximately λ=727-744 nm in degassed dichloromethane at 298 K or in n-butyronitrile glass at 77 K. Nanosecond transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy has also been carried out, establishing the presence of the charge-separated state. In order to understand the electrochemical properties of the complexes, cyclic voltammetry has also been performed. Two quasi-reversible oxidation couples and three quasi-reversible reduction couples were observed. One of the ruthenium(II) complexes has been utilized in the fabrication of memory devices, in which an ON/OFF current ratio of over 104 was obtained.

Living supramolecular polymerization achieved by collaborative assembly of platinum(II) complexes and block copolymers

Significance Living supramolecular polymerization has emerged as an efficient pathway for the fabrication of supramolecular assemblies with precisely controlled dimensions and diverse architectures. This work achieves living supramolecular polymerization by the collaborative assembly of two structurally dissimilar components, namely, the platinum(II) complexes and the block copolymers. This work largely broadens the scope of supramolecular monomers for living supramolecular polymerization and in the construction of supramolecular-based heterojunctions with large lattice mismatch, which represents a distinct advantage over the existing methods based on single-component systems in devising living supramolecular polymerization. This work may open up new, simple one-pot strategies for the fabrication of segmented supramolecular-based heterojunctions with different optical, charge transport, and catalytic properties for directional excitation energy, and electron and hole transport. An important feature of biological systems to achieve complexity and precision is the involvement of multiple components where each component plays its own role and collaborates with other components. Mimicking this, we report living supramolecular polymerization achieved by collaborative assembly of two structurally dissimilar components, that is, platinum(II) complexes and poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(acrylic acid) (PEG-b-PAA). The PAA blocks neutralize the charges of the platinum(II) complexes, with the noncovalent metal–metal and π–π interactions directing the longitudinal growth of the platinum(II) complexes into 1D crystalline nanostructures, and the PEG blocks inhibiting the transverse growth of the platinum(II) complexes and providing the whole system with excellent solubility. The ends of the 1D crystalline nanostructures have been found to be active during the assembly and remain active after the assembly. One-dimensional segmented nanostructures with heterojunctions have been produced by sequential growth of two types of platinum(II) complexes. The PAA blocks act as adapters at the heterojunctions for lattice matching between chemically and crystallographically different platinum(II) complexes, achieving heterojunctions with a lattice mismatch as large as 21%.

Energy Landscape in Supramolecular Coassembly of Platinum(II) Complexes and Polymers: Morphological Diversity, Transformation, and Dilution Stability of Nanostructures

Establishment of energy landscape has emerged as an efficient pathway for improved understanding and manipulation of both thermodynamic and kinetic behaviors of complicated supramolecular systems. Herein, we report the establishment of energy landscapes of supramolecular coassembly of platinum(II) complexes and polymers, as well as the fabrication of nanostructures with enhanced complexity and intriguing properties from the coassembly systems. In the energy landscape, coassembly at room temperature has been found to only allow the longitudinal growth of platinum(II) complexes and block copolymers into core-shell nanofibers that are the kinetically trapped products. Thermal annealing can switch on the transverse growth of platinum(II) complexes and block copolymers to produce core-shell nanobelts that are the thermodynamically stable nanostructures. The extents of the transverse growth are found to increase with thermal annealing temperatures, leading to nanobelts with larger widths. Besides, rapid quenching of a hot coassembly mixture to room temperature can capture intermediate nanobelt- block-nanofiber nanostructures that are metastable and capable of converting to nanobelts upon further incubation at room temperature. Moreover, sonication treatment has been found to couple with the energy landscape of the coassembly system and open a unique energy-driven pathway to activate the kinetically forbidden nanofiber-to-nanobelt morphological transformation. Furthermore, based on the established energy landscapes, nanosphere- block-nanobelt nanostructures with distinct segmented architectures have been fabricated by thermal annealing of the ternary mixture of platinum(II) complexes, block copolymers, and polymer brushes in a one-pot and single-step procedure. Finally, the nanobelts and nanosphere- block-nanobelt nanostructures are found to possess intriguing morphological stability against acid and dilution, exhibiting characteristics that are important for promising biomedical applications.