We report the synthesis of π-bonded ruthenium, rhodium, and iridium o-benzoquinones [Cp*M(o-C(6)H(4)O(2))](n) [M = Ru (2), n = 1-; Rh (3), n = 0; Ir (4), n = 0] following a novel synthetic procedure. Compounds 2-4 were fully characterized by spectroscopic methods and used as chelating organometallic linkers, "OM-linkers", toward luminophore bricks such as Ru(bpy)(2)(2+), Rh(ppy)(2)(+), and Ir(ppy)(2)(+) (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine; ppy = 2-phenylpyridine) for the design of a novel family of octahedral bimetallic complexes of the general formula [(L-L)(2)M(OM-linkers)][X](m) (X = counteranion; m = 0, 1, 2) whose luminescent properties depend on the choice of the OM-linker and the luminophore brick. Thus, dinuclear assemblies such as [(bpy)(2)Ru(2)][OTf] (5-OTf), [(bpy)(2)Ru(2)][Δ-TRISPHAT] (5-ΔT) {TRISPHAT = tris[tetrachlorobenzene-1,2-bis(olato)]phosphate}, [(bpy)(2)Ru(3)][OTf](2) (6-OTf), [(bpy)(2)Ru(4)][OTf](2) (7-OTf), [(bpy)(2)Ru(4)][Δ-TRISPHAT](2) (7-ΔT), [(ppy)(2)Rh(2)] (8), [(ppy)(2)Rh(3)][OTf] (9-OTf), [(ppy)(2)Rh(4)][OTf] (10-OTf), [(ppy)(2)Rh(4)][Δ-TRISPHAT] (10-ΔT), [(ppy)(2)Ir(2)] (11), [(ppy)(2)Ir(3)][OTf] (12-OTf), [(ppy)(2)Ir(4)][OTf] (13-OTf), and [(ppy)(2)Ir(4)][Δ-TRISPHAT] (13-ΔT) were prepared and fully characterized. The X-ray molecular structures of three of them, i.e., 5-OTf, 8, and 11, were determined. The structures displayed a main feature: for instance, the two oxygen centers of the OM-linker [Cp*Ru(o-C(6)H(4)O(2))](-) (2) chelate the octahedral chromophore metal center, whether it be ruthenium, rhodium, or iridium. Further, the carbocycle of the OM-linker 2 adopts a η(4)-quinone form but with some catecholate contribution due to metal coordination. All of these binuclear assemblies showed a wide absorption window that tailed into the near-IR (NIR) region, in particular in the case of the binuclear ruthenium complex 5-OTf with the anionic OM-linker 2. The latter feature is no doubt related to the effect of the OM-linker, which lights up the luminescence in these homo- and heterobinuclear compounds, while no effect has been observed on the UV-visible and emission properties because of the counteranion, whether it be triflate (OTf) or Δ-TRISPHAT. At low temperature, all of these compounds become luminescent; remarkably, the o-quinonoid linkers [Cp*M(o-C(6)H(4)O(2))](n) (2-4) turn on red and NIR phosphorescence in the binuclear octahedral species 5-7. This trend was even more observable when the ruthenium OM-linker 2 was employed. These assemblies hold promise as NIR luminescent materials, in contrast to those made from organic 1,2-dioxolene ligands that conversely are not emissive.

A novel class of luminescent octahedral ruthenium complexes 2-4 displaying a π-bonded quinonoid ligand is described. Remarkably, the presence of this organometallic ligand affects their UV-vis properties and transforms them into panchromatic absorbers. Furthermore, it turns on room temperature NIR emissions.

The synthesis, X-ray structure determination, and photophysical investigation of a novel series of heteroleptic ruthenium(II) polypyridine complexes with organometallic linkers are reported. The displayed panchromatic absorption features are assigned by means of time-dependent density functional theory studies.

The chiral octahedral bimetallic assemblies [(bpy)(2)Ru(o-L(Ir))][CF(3)SO(3)](2) (2), [(ppy)(2)Rh(o-L(Ir))][NO(3)] (7) and [(ppy)(2)Ir(o-L(Ir))][NO(3)] (8) featuring chelating organometallic linker [Cp*Ir(η(4)-o-benzoquinone)] (o-L(Ir)) have been prepared and fully characterized. Anion metathesis following a convenient procedure allowed the preparation of the related diastereomers [Δ-(bpy)(2)Ru(o-L(Ir))][Δ-TRISPHAT](2) (2a) and [Λ-(bpy)(2)Ru(o-L(Ir))][Δ-TRISPHAT](2) (2b) as well as the octahedral rhodium [(Δ, Λ)-(ppy)(2)Rh(o-L(Ir))][Δ-TRISPHAT] (7a, 7b) and iridium [(Δ, Λ)-(ppy)(2)Ir(o-L(Ir))][Δ-TRISPHAT] (8a, 8b) bimetallic assemblies. (1)H NMR studies in solution carried out on these compounds showed different behavior. For instance, the rhodium and iridium compounds exhibited weak chiral recognition in contrast the ruthenium compounds allowed facile differentiation between the two diastereomers suggesting that chiral recognition occurs between the enantiopure anion and the cationic part of the molecule.

The synthesis and X-ray molecular structure of the first metal-stabilized o-dithiobenzoquinone [Cp*Ir-o-(η(4)-C(6)H(4)S(2))] (2) are described. The presence of the metal stabilizes this elusive intermediate by π coordination and increases the nucleophilic character of the sulfur atoms. Indeed, the π-bonded dithiolene complex 2 was found to react with the organometallic solvated species [Cp*M(acetone)(3)][OTf](2) (M = Rh, Ir) to give a unique class of binuclear dithiolene compounds [Cp*Ir(C(6)H(4)S(2))MCp*][OTf](2) [M = Rh (3), Ir (4)] in which the elusive dithiolene η-C(6)H(4)S(2) acts as a bridging ligand toward the two Cp*M moieties. The electrochemical behavior of all complexes was investigated and provided us with valuable information about their redox properties. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations on the π-bonded dithiobenzoquinone ligand and related bimetallic systems show that the presence of Cp*M at the arene system of the dithiolene ligand increases the stability compared to the known monomeric species [Cp*Ir-o-(C(6)H(4)S(2)-κ(2)-S,S)] and enables these complexes Cp*Ir(C(6)H(4)S(2))MCp*][OTf](2) (3 and 4) to act as electron reservoirs. Time-dependent DFT calculations also predict the qualitative trends in the experimental UV-vis spectra and indicate that the strongest transitions arise from ligand-metal charge transfer involving primarily the HOMO-1 and LUMO. All of these compounds were fully characterized and identified by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. These results illustrate the first examples describing the coordination chemistry of the elusive o-dithiobenzoquinone to yield bimetallic complexes with an o-benzodithiolene ligand. These compounds might have important applications in the area of molecular materials.

A series of functionalized cyclometallated rhodium and iridium coordination assemblies2–7displaying a π-bonded dioxolene ligand is described.

The synthesis of two novel organometallic π complexes of a BF 2 -capped tetraoxobenzene (TOB) of the general formulae [Cp*M-η 6 -{BF 2 -TOB-BF 2 }] (M = Ir, 2a; M = Rh, 2b) is reported together with their molecular structures ascertained by single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. Complexes 2a and 2b are isostructural and show the formation of 3D porous supramolecular networks. Interestingly the supramolecular net-[a]