Pt(ii) and Pd(ii) complexes with unprecedented photophysical properties were developed. Encapsulation in nanoparticles boosted their performance while rendering them as self-referenced oxygen sensors.

In this work, for the first time, the comparative use of P-, As-, and Sb-based ligands in phosphorescent coordination compounds is reported toward new coordination chemical concepts in the design and realization of tailored triplet emitters with nonconventional elements. By means of spectroscopic, X-ray diffractometric, and quantum-chemical methods, we reconstructed the nature of the chemical bonds as well as the influence of the increasingly heavy elements on the photoexcited state properties, which were correlated with the hybridization and polarizability of the pnictogen atoms (Pn). In particular, we elucidated the structural and photophysical properties of a series of homologous Pt­(II) complexes with monodentate ancillary ligands based on group 15 elements, namely P, As, and Sb. Six coordination compounds bearing tridentate dianionic 2,6-bis­(1H-1,2,4-triazol-5-yl)­pyridine luminophoric pincer ligands bearing either CF 3 or t Bu moieties on the triazole rings along with triphenylpnictogens (PnPh 3 ) as monodentate ancillary ligands ([CF 3 /Pn] or [ t Bu/Pn], respectively) have been investigated. The electron donating or withdrawing effect of the peripheral substituent ( t Bu vs. CF 3 , respectively) and its influence on the bonding, crystal packing as well as the excited state energies and lifetimes was assessed in fluid solutions, frozen glassy matrices, amorphous solids, and crystalline phases. A progressively red-shifted phosphorescence was observed with increasing atomic number along with a growing compensation of hybridization defects upon coordination of the Pn atom to the Pt­(II) center. The change of molecular geometry of the PnPh 3 unit upon complexation was extrapolated to predict the structural and excited state characteristics of the Bi-based analogues, which according to DFT calculations should be stable species and are the subject of ongoing synthetic efforts. In general, we envisage the use of these ligands for the relativistic enhancement of radiative deactivation rate processes, especially if Bi-based s-orbitals participate on the bond with the metal center, paving the road toward novel coordination compounds using abundant elements with high spin–orbit coupling for sustainable electroluminescent devices.

In this work, we synthesized two tailored phosphorescent Pt­(II) complexes bearing a cyclometalating tridentate thiazole-based C^N*N pincer luminophore (L) and exchangeable chlorido ([PtCl­(L)]) or cyanido ([PtCN­(L)]) coligands. While both complexes showed photoluminescence from metal-perturbed ligand-centered triplet states (3MP-LC), [PtCN­(L)] reached the highest phosphorescence quantum yields and displayed a significant sensitivity toward quenching by 3O2. We encapsulated them into two Zn-based metal–organic frameworks, namely, MOF-5 and ZIF-8. The incorporation of the organometallic compounds in the resulting composites [PtCl­(L)]@ZIF-8, [PtCN­(L)]@ZIF-8, [PtCl­(L)]@MOF-5, and [PtCN­(L)]@MOF-5 was verified by powder X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy and microscopy, as well as N2- and Ar-gas sorption studies. The amount of encapsulated complex was determined by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy, showing a maximum loading of 3.7 wt %. If compared with their solid state forms, the solid-solution composites showed prolonged 3O2-sensitive excited state lifetimes for the complexes at room temperature, reaching up to 18.4 μs under an Ar atmosphere, which is comparable with the behavior of the complex in liquid solutions or even frozen glassy matrices at 77 K.

Herein, we exploit coordination geometry as a new tool to regulate the non-covalent interactions, photophysical properties and energy landscape of supramolecular polymers. To this end, we have designed two self-assembled...

In this work, we describe the synthesis as well as structural, photophysical, and theoretical investigation of a new coordination chemical concept involving rhenium­(I) complexes bearing monoanionic 1,2,4-triazolylpyridine-based bidentate chromophores. The X-ray diffractometric analysis of single crystals revealed particular packing features: the trifluoromethylated exemplar displayed two kinds of arrangements of the coordination centers, where the bidentate ligands at the edges of the unit cell are staggered parallel to each other, whereas those inside show antiparallel stacking with respect to the external ligands. On the other hand, the complexes bearing an adamantyl substituent yield a linear arrangement, where the bulky moiety of one luminophore points to the pyridine center of the adjacent ligand of the neighboring complex while including methanol molecules hydrogen-bonded to the triazolato unit. We observed that the photophysical properties of the complexes (photoexcited-state lifetimes, photoluminescence maxima and quantum yields) can be adjusted by tuning of the substitution pattern at the bidentate luminophore as well as by variation of the monodentate coligand. The photoluminescence spectra and photoexcited-state lifetimes of the crystalline phases were measured by phosphorescence lifetime micro­(spectro)­scopy. Interestingly, the vibrationally resolved emission spectra of the crystals closely resemble those of diluted frozen glassy matrixes at 77 K, in contrast with the broad bands observed in amorphous solids and in fluid solutions, where the charge-transfer character is enhanced. While the photoluminescence quantum yields (ΦL) reach up to 15%, the complexes are able to attain up to 55% efficiency regarding the photosensitization of 1O2 (ΦΔ), depending on the combination of luminophore and coligand. Theoretical calculations showed that the photoexcited triplet (T1) state has a metal–ligand-to-ligand charge-transfer character, where promotion to the excited electronic configuration shortens the Re­(I)–N bond involving the bidentate triazolylpyridine while stretching the three fac-CO–Re­(I) bonds as well as the linkage to the axial monodentate coligand. The calculated vertical (E vl) and 0–0 (E (0–0)) radiative transition energies are in very good agreement with the experimental values (E exp lum).

Small‐molecule probes for the in vitro imaging of KCa3.1 channel‐expressing cells were developed. Senicapoc, showing high affinity and selectivity for the KCa3.1 channels, was chosen as the targeting component. BODIPY dyes 15–20 were synthesized and connected by a CuI‐catalyzed azide–alkyne [3+2]cycloaddition with propargyl ether senicapoc derivative 8, yielding fluorescently labeled ligands 21–26. The dimethylpyrrole‐based imaging probes 25 and 26 allow staining of KCa3.1 channels in NSCLC cells. The specificity was shown by removing the punctate staining pattern by pre‐incubation with senicapoc. The density of KCa3.1 channels detected with 25 and by immunostaining was identical. The punctate structure of the labeled channels could also be observed in living cells. Molecular modeling showed binding of the senicapoc‐targeting component towards the binding site within the ion channel and orientation of the linker with the dye along the inner surface of the ion channel.

Two novel Re(i) complexes with the general formula fac-[Re(CO)3(L)(nHo)]CF3SO3, where L = 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy) or 1,10 phenanthroline (phen) and nHo (9H-pyrido[3,4-b]indole; norharmane) have been synthesized. The Re(i)-nHo complexes were characterized by structural X-ray diffraction, (1)H and (13)C NMR, UV-vis absorption and FT-IR spectroscopy, and by a combination of two mass spectrometry techniques, namely ESI-MS and UV-MALDI-MS. All characterizations showed that nHo is coordinated to the metal atom by the pyridine nitrogen of the molecule. X-ray structural analysis revealed that the crystal lattices for both complexes are further stabilized by a strong >N-HO bond between the pyrrole NH group of the pyridoindole ligand and one oxygen atom of the trifluoromethanesulfonate counter-ion. Ground state geometry optimization by DFT calculations showed that in fluid solution the nHo ligand may rotate freely. The nature of the electronic transitions of Re(CO)3(bpy)(nHo)(+) were established by TD-DFT calculations. The set of the most important electronic transitions present in this complex are comprised of π→π* electronic transitions centered on bpy and nHo moieties, LLCTnHo→COs, MLLCTRe(CO)3→bpy and LLCTnHo→bpy transitions. Additionally, TD-DFT calculations predict the existence of another two intense MLLCTRe(CO)3→nHo electronic transitions. Calculated UV-vis absorption spectra are in good agreement with the corresponding experimental data for the bpy-containing complex.

The synthesis as well as the structural and photophysical characterization of two isoleptic bis-cyclometalated Pt(II) and Pd(II) complexes, namely [PtL] and [PdL], bearing a tailored dianionic tetradentate ligand (L 2− ) are reported. The isostructural character and intermolecular interactions of [PtL] and [PdL] were assessed by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. Both complexes show fully ligand-controlled aggregation, demonstrating that a judicious molecular design can tune the photophysical properties. In fact, by introduction of fluorine atoms on defined positions and methoxy groups on complementary sites, metal−metal interactions can be forced by a head-to-tail stacking. Hence, [PtL] shows luminescence from metal-perturbed ligandcentered or from metal-metal-to-ligand charge-transfer triplet states in diluted solutions, in frozen glasses and in crystals, with high photoluminescence quantum yields and long lifetimes in the microsecond range. At room temperature (RT) in concentrated fluid solutions, the palladium analogue [PdL] surprisingly emits luminescence from aggregated species involving supramolecular interactions. Time-resolved photoluminescence and transient absorption spectroscopies demonstrated that ultrafast intersystem crossing occurs for both metals, which outruns any competitive relaxation pathway from the photoexcited singlet state. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the radiationless deactivation can be suppressed in frozen glassy matrices at 77 K and by intermolecular interactions in fluid solutions at RT. In both cases and as indicated by density functional theory calculations, the lowest emissive state acts as an energy trap from which the thermal population of dissociative states with formal occupation of an antibonding Pdcentered 4d x 2 −y 2 orbital is suppressed. This occurs as the energy gap between the emissive and the dark states surpasses kT.