Vincent Lemaur

Iridium Metal Complexes Containing N-Heterocyclic Carbene Ligands for Blue-Light-Emitting Electrochemical Cells

A new series of cationic blue-emitting, heteroleptic iridium(III)-based metal complexes were systematically synthesized using two 4,6-difluorophenylpyridine ligands as well as one methyl- or n-butyl-substituted bisimidazolium salt carbene-type ligand. In degassed CH(2)Cl(2), all complexes display highly efficient, blue phosphorescence (λ(max) ∼ 452 nm; emission quantum yield ∼ 0.30) at room temperature and also show blue emission in a thin film. The measured photophysical properties of the complexes have been rationalized with the help of quantum-chemical calculations. Because of the high solubility of the complexes, solution-processed devices, light-emitting electrochemical cells (LEECs), were made. The results showed that true blue emission and short turn-on time is achieved when an ionic conductor, tetrabutylammonium trifluoromethanesulfonate, was used as the matrix for the film containing the emitters. These iridium complexes and the described devices are the bluest materials ever reported and the first case of LEECs based on carbene ligands.

Electronic and optical properties of polyfluorene and fluorene-based copolymers: A quantum-chemical characterization

We report a detailed quantum-chemical characterization of the electronic and optical properties of polyfluorene chains and compare them to those in copolymers containing alternating fluorene and benzothiadiazole or ethylenedioxythiophene units. The introduction of the comonomer can strongly modify the excitonic properties as well as the efficiency of charge- and energy-transfer processes. The choice of the comonomer is thus critical in targeting specific optical properties while maintaining good transport properties.

Free radical scavenging by natural polyphenols: atom versus electron transfer.

Polyphenols (synthetically modified or directly provided by human diet) scavenge free radicals by H-atom transfer and may thus decrease noxious effects due to oxidative stress. Free radical scavenging by polyphenols has been widely theoretically studied from the thermodynamic point of view whereas the kinetic point of view has been much less addressed. The present study describes kinetic-based structure-activity relationship for quercetin. This compound is very characteristic of the wide flavonoid subclass of polyphenols. H-atom transfer is a mechanism based on either atom or electron transfer. This is analyzed here by quantum chemical calculations, which support the knowledge acquired from experimental studies. The competition between the different processes is discussed in terms of the nature of the prereaction complexes, the pH, the formation of activated-deprotonated forms, and the atom- and electron-transfer efficiency. The role of the catechol moiety and the 3-OH group of quercetin as scavengers of different types of free radicals (CH3OO(•), CH3O(•), (•)OH, and (•)CH2OH) is rationalized. Identifying the exact mechanism and accurately evaluating kinetics is of fundamental importance to understand antioxidant behavior in physiological environments.

Structural correlations in the generation of polaron pairs in low-bandgap polymers for photovoltaics

Polymeric semiconductors are materials where unique optical and electronic properties often originate from a tailored chemical structure. This allows for synthesizing conjugated macromolecules with ad hoc functionalities for organic electronics. In photovoltaics, donor-acceptor co-polymers, with moieties of different electron affinity alternating on the chain, have attracted considerable interest. The low bandgap offers optimal light-harvesting characteristics and has inspired work towards record power conversion efficiencies. Here we show for the first time how the chemical structure of donor and acceptor moieties controls the photogeneration of polaron pairs. We show that co-polymers with strong acceptors show large yields of polaron pair formation up to 24% of the initial photoexcitations as compared with a homopolymer (η=8%). π-conjugated spacers, separating the donor and acceptor centre of masses, have the beneficial role of increasing the recombination time. The results provide useful input into the understanding of polaron pair photogeneration in low-bandgap co-polymers for photovoltaics.

Bulky End‐Capped [1]Benzothieno[3,2‐b]benzothiophenes: Reaching High‐Mobility Organic Semiconductors by Fine Tuning of the Crystalline Solid‐State Order

A series of bulky end-capped [1]benzothieno[3,2-b]benzothiophenes (BTBTs) are developed in order to tune the packing structure via terminal substitution. A coupled theoretical and experimental study allows us to identify 2,7-di-tert-butylBTBT as a new high-performance organic semiconductor with large and well-balanced transfer integrals, as evidenced by quantum-chemical calculations. Single-crystal field-effect transistors show a remarkable average saturation mobility of 7.1 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) .

Iridium(III) Emitters Based on 1,4-Disubstituted-1H-1,2,3-triazoles as Cyclometalating Ligand: Synthesis, Characterization, and Electroluminescent Devices

A series of blue and blue-green emitters based on neutral bis- and tris-cyclometalated Ir(III) complexes with 1-benzyl-4-(2,6-difluorophenyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazole (dfptrBn) as cyclometalating ligand is reported. The bis-cyclometalated complexes of the type [Ir(dfptrBn)(2)(L(^)X)] with different ancillary ligands, L(^)X = picolinate (pic) (2) or 2-(5-(perfluorophenyl)-2H-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl)pyridine (pytrF(5)) (3), are described and their photophysical properties compared with the analogous complexes containing the archetypal 2-(2,4-difluorophenyl)pyridinato (dfppy) as cyclometaled ligand (C(^)N). Complex 2 exhibits a marked solvatochromic behavior, from 475 nm in toluene to 534 nm in formamide, due to the strong MLCT character of its emissive excited state. Complex 3 displays a true-blue emission, narrower in the visible part than FIrpic. In addition, the homoleptic complex [Ir(dfprBn)(3)] (4) and the heteroleptic compounds with mixed arylpyridine/aryltriazole ligands, [Ir(dfptrBn)(2)(C(^)N)] (C(^)N = 2-phenylpyridinato (ppy) (5) or dfppy (6)), have been synthesized and fully characterized. The facial (fac) complex fac-4 is emissive at 77 K showing a deep-blue emission, but it is not luminescent in solution at room temperature similarly to their phenylpyrazole counterparts. However, the fac isomers, fac-5 and fac-6, are highly emissive in solution and thin films, reaching emission quantum yields of 76%, with emission colors in the blue to blue-green region. The photophysical properties for all complexes have been rationalized by means of quantum-chemical calculations. In addition, we constructed electroluminescent devices, organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) by sublimation of fac-6, and by solution processed polymer-based devices (PLEDs) using complexes fac-5 or fac-6 as dopants.

Theoretical Characterization of the Structural and Hole Transport Dynamics in Liquid-Crystalline Phthalocyanine Stacks

We present a joint molecular dynamics (MD)/kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) study aimed at the atomistic description of charge transport in stacks of liquid-crystalline tetraalkoxy-substituted, metal-free phthalocyanines. The molecular dynamics simulations reproduce the major structural features of the mesophases, in particular, a phase transition around 340 K between the rectangular and hexagonal phases. Charge transport simulations based on a Monte Carlo algorithm show an increase by 2 orders of magnitude in the hole mobility when accounting for the rotational and translational dynamics. The results point to the formation of dynamical structural defects along the columns.

Probing the Relation Between Charge Transport and Supramolecular Organization Down to Ångström Resolution in a Benzothiadiazole‐Cyclopentadithiophene Copolymer

Molecular modeling shows that longitudinal displacement of the backbones by a couple of ångströms has a profound impact on the electronic coupling mediating charge transport in a conjugated copolymer. These changes can be probed by monitoring the calculated X-ray scattering patterns and NMR chemical shifts as a function of sliding of the polymer chains and comparing them to experiment.

Self-assembly of tetrathiafulvalene derivatives at a liquid/solid interface—compositional and constitutional influence on supramolecular ordering

The self-assembly of a series of tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) derivatives at the interface between non-volatile organic solutions and the graphite surface has been studied by scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM). The TTFs have been prepared such that they bear none, one, two (in different constitutions) or four alkyl chains of different lengths and different functional groups. The STM images reveal that the packing of the TTF cores can effectively be controlled by changing the substitution pattern on the heterocycle. Several structures are seen at the interphase—parquet-type packing, single and double core tapes, and even isolated molecules—all of which have the TTF core essentially coplanar with the surface. Molecular modelling has shown that several orientations of the molecules are practically equal in energy on the graphite, which explains the polymorphous packing of some of the molecules. Solvent effects also play a role in determining the 2D structures.

Unraveling unprecedented charge carrier mobility through structure property relationship of four isomers of didodecyl[1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene

The structural and electronic properties of four isomers of didodecyl[1]-benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene (C12-BTBT) have been investigated. Results show the strong impact of the molecular packing on charge carrier transport and electronic polarization properties. Field-induced time-resolved microwave conductivity measurements unravel an unprecedented high average interfacial mobility of 170 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1) for the 2,7-isomer, holding great promise for the field of organic electronics.