The high-yielding synthesis of 2-substituted benzo-1,3-tellurazoles and benzo-1,3-selenazoles through a dehydrative cyclization reaction has been reported, giving access to a large variety of benzo-1,3-chalcogenazoles. Exceptionally, these aromatic heterocycles proved to be very stable and thus very handy to form controlled solid-state organizations in which wire-like polymeric structures are formed through secondary N⋅⋅⋅Y bonding interactions (SBIs) engaging the chalcogen (Y=Se or Te) and nitrogen atoms. In particular, it has been shown that the recognition properties of the chalcogen centre at the solid state could be programmed by selectively barring one of its σ-holes through a combination of electronic and steric effects exerted by the substituent at the 2-position. As predicted by the electrostatic potential surfaces calculated by quantum chemical modelling, the pyridyl groups revealed to be the stronger chalcogen bonding acceptors, and thus the best ligand candidate for programming the molecular organization at the solid state. In contrast, the thiophenyl group is an unsuitable substituent for establishing SBIs in this molecular system as it gives rise to chalcogen-chalcogen repulsion. The weaker chalcogen donor properties of the Se analogues trigger the formation of feeble N⋅⋅⋅Se contacts, which are manifested in similar solid-state polymers featuring longer nitrogen-chalcogen distances.

The synthesis, X-ray crystal structures, ground- and excited-state UV/Vis absorption spectra, and luminescence properties of chalcogen-doped organic emitters equipped on both extremities with benzoxa-, benzothia-, benzoselena- and benzotellurazole (1X and 2X ) moieties have been reported for the first time. The insertion of the four different chalcogen atoms within the same molecular skeleton enables the investigation of only the chalcogenic effect on the organisation and photophysical properties of the material. Detailed crystal-structure analyses provide evidence of similar packing for 2O -2Se , in which the benzoazoles are engaged in π-π stacking and, for the heavier atoms, in secondary X⋅⋅⋅X and X⋅⋅⋅N bonding interactions. Detailed computational analysis shows that the arrangement is essentially governed by the interplay of van der Waals and secondary bonding interactions. Progressive quenching of the fluorescence and concomitant onset of phosphorescence features with gradually shorter lifetimes are detected as the atomic weight of the chalcogen heteroatom increases, with the tellurium-doped derivatives exhibiting only emission from the lowest triplet excited state. Notably, the phosphorescence spectra of the selenium and tellurium derivatives can be recorded even at room temperature; this is a very rare finding for fully organic emitters.

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Fullerene-based tetrads, triads, and dyads are presented in which [60]fulleropyrrolidine synthons are linked to an oligo(p-phenyleneethynylene) antenna at the nitrogen atom and to electron-donor phenothiazine (PTZ) and/or ferrocene (Fc) moieties at the α carbon of the pyrrolidine cycle through an acetylene spacer. Cyclic voltammetry and UV/ Vis absorption spectra evidence negligible ground-state electronic interactions among the subunits. By contrast, strong excited-state interactions are detected upon selective light irradiation of the antenna (UV) or of the fullerene scaffold (Vis). When only PTZ is present as electron donor, photoinduced electron transfer to the fullerene unit is unambiguously detected in benzonitrile, but this is not the case when Fc is part of the multicomponent system. These results suggest that Fc is a formidable energy transfer quencher and caution should be used in choosing it as electron donor to promote efficient charge separation in multicomponent arrays.

t-BuOK-H 2 O (7.6:2.3) in THF or DMSO allows the efficient Grob-type fragmentation of 4-sulfonyl-bicyclo[3.1.0]hexan-2-ones which cannot be achieved by potassium hydroxide in DMSO as we originally described.