Shu-Wen Yang

Synthesis and electrogenerated chemiluminescence of donor-substituted phenylquinolinylethynes and phenylisoquinolinylethynes: effect of positional isomerismElectronic supplementary information (ESI) available: synthetic procedures, measurement details and characterization data of all compounds. See http://www.rsc.org/suppdata/ob/b4/b403775h/

In furtherance of our research on the design, synthesis and study of electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) of new donor substituted phenylquinolinylethynes, we report here more new series with the aim of studying the effect of positional isomerism on their overall photophysical properties with a special focus on ECL. For this study we have chosen 2-, 3-, and 4-(p-substituted phenyl)ethynylquinolines, and 1- and 4-(p-substituted phenyl)ethynylisoquinolines. These ethynes were synthesized in good yields by modified Sonogashira coupling of the corresponding terminal alkyne with the respective haloquinolines. The photophysical properties and ECL were studied in acetonitrile solvent and the various results are discussed.

Arylethynylacridines: electrochemiluminescence and photophysical properties

Electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) of six new ethyne-based acridine derivatives (1-6) has been studied. The new acridine derivatives were synthesized by cross-coupling of 9-chloroacridine and corresponding donor-substituted phenylethynes under modified Sonogashira conditions. The donor groups were varied in the order of increasing steric hindrance and donor strength at the donor site. The solution phase photophysical properties and ECL of these compounds were studied comparatively in acetonitrile solvent. The UV-Visible spectra of compounds 1-5 exhibit closely the same maxima. Density functional theory (DFT) has been invoked to analyze and understand the unexpected UV-Visible absorption behavior. Compounds with weak electron donors produce excimer ECL irrespective of steric hindrance at the donor site, while the compound with a stronger donor gives rise to ECL that is blue-shifted with respect to its photoluminescence spectrum. All except one of these compounds also exhibit solid state fluorescence which may be useful for solid state devices such as organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) and as laser dyes. The observed properties are discussed with reference to the structure of the compounds synthesized.

Donor-substituted phenyl-π-chromones: electrochemiluminescence and intriguing electronic properties

Phenylethynylchromones bearing different donor groups at the phenyl moiety have been prepared and their photophysical and electrogenerated chemiluminescence (ECL) properties have been studied with respect to their structural features. Intriguingly, the presence and variation of donor groups do not much influence the absorption spectra, which can be compared with the spectrum of unsubstituted chromone, whereas the photoluminescence (PL) spectra show pronounced changes. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate enhancement of HOMO energy levels upon increasing the donor strength. The photophysical properties have also been studied in various solvents, and the PL spectra in particular show the anticipated trend. The introduction of pi-extension imparts ECL to the new molecules and the electronic coupling between the donor and the acceptor moieties through C-C triple bond influences ECL emission maxima. Weaker donors impart excimer ECL while stronger donors impart monomeric intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) ECL.