Sébastien Goeb

Homogeneous Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production Using π-Conjugated Platinum(II) Arylacetylide Sensitizers

Three platinum(II) terpyridylacetylide charge-transfer complexes possessing a lone ancillary ligand systematically varied in phenylacetylide π-conjugation length, [Pt((t)Bu(3)tpy)([C≡CC(6)H(4)](n)H)]ClO(4) (n = 1-3), are evaluated as photosensitizers (PSs) for visible-light-driven (λ > 420 nm) hydrogen production in the presence of a cobaloxime catalyst and the sacrificial electron donor triethanolamine (TEOA). Excited-state reductive quenching of the PS by TEOA produces PS(-) (k(q) scales with the driving force as 1 > 2 > 3), enabling thermal electron transfer to the cobalt catalyst. The initial H(2) evolution is directly proportional to the incident photon flux and visible-light harvesting capacity of the sensitizer, 3 > 2 > 1. The combined data suggest that PSs exhibiting attenuated bimolecular reductive quenching constants with respect to the diffusion limit can overcome this deficiency through improved light absorption in homogeneous H(2)-evolving compositions.

Chemistry at Boron: Synthesis and Properties of Red to Near-IR Fluorescent Dyes Based on Boron-Substituted Diisoindolomethene Frameworks

A general method for the synthesis of difluorobora-diisoindolomethene dyes with phenyl, p-anisole, or ethyl-thiophene substituents has been developed. The nature of the substituents allows modulation of the fluorescence from 650 to 780 nm. Replacement of the fluoro ligands by ethynyl-aryl or ethyl residues is facile using Grignard reagents. Several X-ray molecular structures have been determined, allowing establishment of structure-fluorescence relationships. When the steric crowding around the boron center is severe, the aromatic substituents α to the diisoindolomethene nitrogens are twisted out of coplanarity, and hypsochromic shifts are observed in the absorption and emission spectra. This shift reached 91 nm with ethyl substituents compared to fluoro groups. When ethynyl linkers are used, the core remains flat, and a bathochromic shift is observed. All the fluorophores exhibit relatively high quantum yields for emitters in the 650-800 nm region. When perylene or pyrene residues are connected to the dyes, almost quantitative energy transfer from them to the dye core occurs, providing large virtual Stokes shifts spanning from 8000 to 13,000 cm(-1) depending on the nature of the dye. All the dyes are redox active, providing the Bodipy radical cation and anion in a reversible manner. Stepwise reduction or oxidation to the dication and dianion is feasible at higher potentials. We contend that the present work paves the way for the development of a new generation of stable, functionalized luminophores for bioanalytical applications.

A metal-directed self-assembled electroactive cage with bis(pyrrolo)tetrathiafulvalene (BPTTF) side walls

A straightforward synthesis of a bis(pyrrolo)tetrathiafulvalene (BPTTF)-based tetratopic ligand bearing four pyridyl units is described. The first example of a TTF-based self-assembled cage has been produced from this redox-active ligand through metal-directed synthesis with a cis-coordinated square-planar Pt(II) complex. The resulting cage corresponds to a trigonal-prismatic structure, as shown by X-ray crystallography. A UV-vis titration indicated that the electron-rich cavity can be used to incorporate one molecule of tetrafluorotetracyano-p-quinodimethane (TCNQF(4)).

Electronic Energy Transfer to the S2 Level of the Acceptor in Functionalised Boron Dipyrromethene Dyes

Taking the high road: Highly efficient electronic energy transfer takes place from a set of appended aryl polycyclic hydrocarbons to an expanded boron dipyrromethene (Bodipy)-based dye (see figure) despite negligible spectral overlap with the lowest-energy excited state localised on the acceptor.A multi-component array has been constructed around an expanded boron dipyrromethene (Bodipy) dye that absorbs and emits in the far-red region. One of the appendages is a perylene-based moiety that is connected to the boron atom of the terminal Bodipy by a 1,4-diethynylphenylene connector. Despite the fact that there is almost negligible spectral overlap between fluorescence from the perylene unit and absorption by the Bodipy residue, electronic energy transfer is rapid and essentially quantitative. It is concluded that at least half of the photons absorbed by perylene are transferred to the upper-lying singlet excited state (S(2)) associated with the Bodipy-based acceptor. The second appendage is a pyrene unit that is covalently linked to fluorene, through an ethynylene spacer, and to the boron atom of the Bodipy terminus, through a 1,4-diethynylphenylene connector. Pyrene absorbs and emits at higher energy than perylene and there is strong spectral overlap with the Bodipy-based S(2) state, and none with the corresponding S(1) state. Electronic energy transfer is now very fast and exclusively to the S(2) state of the acceptor. It is difficult to compute reasonable estimates for the rates of Coulombic energy transfer, because of uncertainties in the orientation factor, but the principle mechanism is believed to arise from electron exchange. Comparison with an earlier array built around a conventional Bodipy dye indicates that there are comparable electronic coupling matrix elements for the two systems. It is notable that pyrene is more strongly coupled to the Bodipy unit than perylene in both arrays. These new arrays function as highly effective solar concentrators.

Reversible Guest Uptake/Release by Redox-Controlled Assembly/Disassembly of a Coordination Cage

Controlling the guest expulsion process from a receptor is of critical importance in various fields. Several coordination cages have been recently designed for this purpose, based on various types of stimuli to induce the guest release. Herein, we report the first example of a redox-triggered process from a coordination cage. The latter integrates a cavity, the panels of which are based on the extended tetrathiafulvalene unit (exTTF). The unique combination of electronic and conformational features of this framework (i.e. high π-donating properties and drastic conformational changes upon oxidation) allows the reversible disassembly/reassembly of the redox-active cavity upon chemical oxidation/reduction, respectively. This cage is able to bind the three-dimensional B12 F12 (2-) anion in a 1:2 host/guest stoichiometry. The reversible redox-triggered disassembly of the cage could also be demonstrated in the case of the host-guest complex, offering a new option for guest-delivering control.

New fluorescent aryl- or ethynylaryl-boron-substituted indacenes as promising dyes

A generic design principle based on the use of organometallic (Li or Mg) reagents for the substitution of the fluoro ligands in difluoroboradiazaindacene is described. A library of compounds bearing various substituents (butyl, phenyl, naphthyl, pyrenyl, ethynylnaphthyl, ethynylfluorenyl, ethynylcarbazoyl, ethynylperylenyl, ethynylthiophenyl and ethynylterpyridinyl) has been prepared and characterized. Electrochemical and photochemical measurements show that these novel dyes remain redox-active and strongly luminescent. They offer an interesting perspective for applications in labelling and electroluminescence.

Physical origin of the third order nonlinear optical response of orthogonal pyrrolo-tetrathiafulvalene derivatives

We present the third order nonlinear optical study of tetrathiafulvalene-based molecular corners. Degenerate four-wave mixing measurements have been done to provide information about the magnitude and the origin of the nonlinearity, while the nonlinear absorption has been separately measured by performing “open aperture” Z-scan measurements. The response has been found to be strongly dependent upon the structure of the molecular corners.

A BPTTF-based self-assembled electron-donating triangle capable of C60 binding

A kinetically stable self-assembled redox-active triangle is isolated. The resulting electron-donating cavity, which incorporates three BPTTF units, exhibits a remarkable binding ability for electron-deficient C(60), supported by a favorable combination of structural and electronic features.

A self-assembled bis(pyrrolo)tetrathiafulvalene-based redox active square

The synthesis and full characterization of a redox-active π-donating molecular square is described, through coordination-driven self-assembly of a new key bis(pyrrolo)TTF building block with Pt(II) salts; the electrochemical behaviour of the square is consistent with noninteracting bis(pyrrolo)TTF units.

Excited state absorption properties of Pt(II) terpyridyl complexes bearing π-conjugated arylacetylides.

The synthesis, photophysics, and excited state absorption properties of three platinum(II) terpyridyl acetylide charge transfer (CT) complexes possessing a lone ancillary ligand systematically varied in phenylacetylide (PA) π-conjugation length, [Pt((t)Bu(3)tpy)([C≡C-C(6)H(4)](n)-H)]ClO(4) (n = 1, 2, 3), are described. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations performed on the ground states of complexes 1, 2, and 3 reveal that their HOMOs reside mainly on the ancillary π-conjugated PA moiety, ranging from 86 to 97%, with LUMOs predominantly centered on the terpyridyl acceptor ligand (91-92%). This electronic structure leads to the production of a triplet ligand-to-ligand CT ((3)LLCT) excited state upon visible light excitation with minor contributions from the corresponding triplet metal-to-ligand CT ((3)MLCT) excited state. Unusually strong red-to-near-IR transient absorptions are produced in the excited states of these molecules following selective long wavelength visible excitation of the low energy CT bands that do not emanate from the terpyridyl radical anion produced in the CT excited state or from an arylacetylide-based triplet intraligand ((3)IL) excited state. The extinction coefficients of these low energy absorption transients were determined using the energy transfer method with anthracene serving as the triplet acceptor. A detailed theoretical investigation using DFT and TDDFT methods reveals that these intense near-IR transient absorptions involve transitions resulting from transient oxidation of the PA subunit. In essence, the production of the (3)LLCT excited state transiently oxidizes the PA moiety by one electron, producing the corresponding highly absorbing radical cation-like species, analogous to that experienced in related intramolecular photoinduced electron transfer reactions. The computational work successfully predicts the oscillator strength and peak wavelength of the measured excited state absorption transients across this series of molecules. In the present effort, there is a convergence of theory and experiment given that the excited state absorption properties of these Pt(II) chromophores are determined by localized transitions that resemble open shell radical cation species.