Probing intramolecular CH-π interactions in o-quinodimethane adducts of [60]fullerene using variable temperature NMR.

Several o-quinodimethane adducts of [60]fullerene were synthesized and their intramolecular aryl CH-fullerene π interactions were studied using variable temperature-NMR (VT-NMR). Evaluation of the rate constants associated with the first-order transition states for cyclohexene boat-to-boat inversions enables quantification of ΔG(‡) values for each inversion. A comparison between two constitutional isomers, only one of which is capable of intramolecular CH-π interactions, provides a lower limit of 0.95 kcal/mol for each aryl CH-fullerene π interaction.

Design, synthesis, and characterization of a persistent nonacene derivative.

A significant technical barrier (i.e., facile oxidative degradation) that has prevented the preparation of large acenes has now been breached. Using a combination of experimentally and theoretically derived substituent effects, the design, synthesis, isolation, and characterization of the first persistent nonacene derivative is described. The molecular design strategy includes placement of arylthio (or alkylthio) substituents on the terminal rings of the nonacene skeleton, effectively converting an open-shell singlet diradical into a closed-shell system. These powerful substituent effects appear to be suitable for the synthesis of other persistent, soluble, large acene derivatives required for advanced thin-film organic semiconductor applications.

Spatial control of 3D energy transfer in supramolecular nanostructured host-guest architectures.

Systematic control of 3D energy transfer (ET) dynamics is achieved in supramolecular nanostructured host-guest systems using spacer-functionalized guest chromophores. Quantum chemistry-based Monte Carlo simulations reveal the strong impact of the spacer length on the ET dynamics, efficiency, and dimensionality. Remarkably high exciton diffusion lengths demonstrate that there is ample scope for optimizing oligomeric or polymeric optoelectronic devices.

Molecular self-assembly of functionalized fullerenes on a metal surface.

We present a combined experimental and theoretical study of the self-assembly of C60 molecules functionalized with long alkane chains on the (111) surface of silver. We find that the conformation of the functionalized C60 changes upon adsorption on Ag(111) and that the unit cell size in the self-assembled monolayer is determined by the interactions between the functional groups. We show that C60 molecules can be assembled in ordered 2D arrays with intermolecular distances much larger than those in compact C60 layers, and propose a novel way to control the surface pattern by appropriate chemical functionalization.

2,5-Dichloro-thio-phene 1,1-dioxide.

The complete mol-ecule of the title compound, C(4)H(2)Cl(2)O(2)S, is generated by crystallographic twofold symmetry, with the S atom lying on the rotation axis. In the crystal, the molecules are linked by C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds..

2,3-Bis(bromo-meth-yl)-1,4-diphenyl-benzene.

In the title compound, C(20)H(16)Br(2), the terminal phenyl groups are twisted away from the central ring by approximately 55 and -125° (average of four dihedral angles each), respectively. The crystal structure is stabilized by a combination of inter-molecular and intra-molecular inter-actions including inter-molecular π-π stacking inter-actions [C atoms of closest contact = 3.423 (5) Å].

1,2-Dimethyl-4,5-diphenyl-benzene determined on a Bruker SMART X2S benchtop crystallographic system.

The title compound, C(20)H(18), has two crystallographically independent mol-ecules in the asymmetric unit. The phenyl substituents of mol-ecule A are twisted away from the plane defined by the central benzene ring by 131.8 (2) and -52.7 (3)°. The phenyl substituents of mol-ecule B are twisted by -133.3 (2) and 50.9 (3)°. Each mol-ecule is stabilized by a pair of intra-molecular C(aryl, sp(2))-H⋯π inter-actions, as well as by several inter-molecular C(methyl, sp(3))-H⋯π inter-actions.

Three-dimensional energy transport in highly luminescent host-guest crystals: a quantitative experimental and theoretical study.

We present a combined experimental and theoretical study on energy transfer processes in a well-defined three-dimensional host-guest system, which allows for high chromophore concentrations while maintaining the highly luminescent properties of the molecules in solution. The self-assembled, nanostructured system with a defined ratio of included donor and acceptor molecules is amenable to quantitative comparison between experiment and theory. Experimentally, energy migration is monitored by steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy. From the theoretical side, the energy transfer process is modeled by a Monte Carlo approach including homo and hetero transfer steps with multi-acceptor distribution. In this dense system, the classical Förster point-dipole approach for energy transfer breaks down, and the hopping rates are therefore calculated on the basis of a quantum-chemical description of the donor and acceptor excited states. Thereby, the true directionality of the excitation diffusion is revealed. Excellent agreement with experimental donor and acceptor decays and overall transfer efficiencies is found. Even at low acceptor concentrations (down to 0.1%), efficient energy transfer over distances as large as 25 nm was observed due to rapid energy migration through a series of homo-transfer steps with preference along one direction of the structure.

Piperazine additions to C60--a facile approach to fullerene substitution.

A range of fullerene monoadducts can be generated via the photochemical reaction of piperazine derivatives with C60. Addend functionality can also be efficiently incorporated by transformation of the hydroxyl-substituted adduct prepared in this fashion. Reaction yields and process simplicity compete with current standard procedures for fullerene mono-functionalisation.