Increasing the Affinity Between Carbon-Coated LiFePO4/C Electrodes and Conventional Organic Electrolyte by Spontaneous Grafting of a Benzene-Trifluoromethylsulfonimide Moiety.

The grafting of benzene-trifluoromethylsulfonimide groups on LiFePO4/C was achieved by spontaneous reduction of in situ generated diazonium ions of the corresponding 4-amino-benzene-trifluoromethylsulfonimide. The diazotization of 4-amino-benzene-trifluoromethylsulfonimide was a slow process that required a high concentration of precursors to promote the spontaneous grafting reaction. Contact angle measurements showed a hydrophilic surface was produced after the reaction that is consistent with grafting of benzene-trifluoromethylsulfonimide groups. Elemental analysis data revealed a 2.1 wt % loading of grafted molecules on the LiFePO4/C powder. Chemical oxidation of the cathode material during the grafting reaction was detected by X-ray diffraction and quantified by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. Surface modification improves the wettability of the cathode material, and better discharge capacities were obtained for modified electrodes at high C-rate. In addition, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy showed the resistance of the modified cathode was lower than that of the bare LiFePO4/C film electrode. Moreover, the modified cathode displayed superior capacity retention after 200 cycles of charge/discharge at 1 C.

A rare case of dual emission in a neutral heteroleptic iridium(III) complex.

Herein we describe the synthesis and characterization of a neutral heteroleptic iridium complex bearing an unusual 2-pyridyl-6-methylthiazine dioxide ligand (pythdo). X-ray crystallographic analysis reveals that in the complex, the pythdo ligand is twisted and puckered, resulting in very low photoluminescent quantum efficiency. The emission profile is structured. Excited state lifetime measurements along with oxygen quenching studies point to a rare case of dual emission from different excited states whereby the high energy bands possess significant ligand-centered ((3)LC) character while the lower energy bands are predominantly characterized as a mixture of charge transfer ((3)CT) states. A detailed computational analysis corroborates the unusual photophysical behavior.

Self-enhanced electrochemiluminescence of an iridium(III) complex: mechanistic insight.

Improved luminophore: The electrochemiluminescence (ECL) of an iridium complex self-enhanced up to 16 times is reported. Three excited states were observed in the emission spectra (see picture). The ECL efficiency of this complex is the highest reported for an iridium complex.

Bright electrochemiluminescence of iridium(III) complexes.

Electrochemiluminescence (ECL) of four bright iridium(III) complexes containing aryltriazole cyclometallated ligands is reported. The ECL mechanisms, spectra and high efficiencies via annihilation and coreactant paths have been investigated.

Enhanced luminescent iridium(III) complexes bearing aryltriazole cyclometallated ligands.

Herein we report the synthesis of 4-aryl-1-benzyl-1H-1,2,3-triazoles (atl), made via "Click chemistry" and their incorporation as cyclometallating ligands into new heteroleptic iridium(III) complexes containing diimine (N(^)N) ancillary ligands 2,2'-bipyridine (bpy) and 4,4'-di-tert-butyl-2,2'-bipyridine (dtBubpy). Depending on decoration, these complexes emit from the yellow to sky blue in acetonitrile (ACN) solution at room temperature (RT). Their emission energies are slightly blue-shifted and their photoluminescent quantum efficiencies are markedly higher (between 25 and 80%) than analogous (C(^)N)(2)Ir(N(^)N)(+) type complexes, where C(^)N is a decorated 2-phenylpyridinato ligand. This increased brilliance is in part due to the presence of the benzyl groups, which act to sterically shield the iridium metal center. X-ray crystallographic analyses of two of the atl complexes corroborate this assertion. Their electrochemistry is reversible, thus making these complexes amenable for inclusion in light-emitting electrochemical cells (LEECs). A parallel computational investigation supports the experimental findings and demonstrates that for all complexes included in this study, the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) is located on both the aryl fragment of the atl ligands and the iridium metal while the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) is located essentially exclusively on the ancillary ligand.

Fraternal twin iridium hemicage chelates.

The synthesis and complete photophysical characterization of rigidified neutral hemicage iridium complexes are presented. The hemicage ligands were obtained via a modular synthesis, which will facilitate the expansion of future hemicage syntheses. Slight variations in structure between the two iridium hemicage podates reveal subtle differences in photophysical behavior, which will aid in the design of functional materials. A parallel computational investigation corroborates the experimental findings. The insight gleaned from this study will have an impact for the design of iridium-based luminophores for OLED-type applications.

Role of substitution on the photophysical properties of 5,5'-diaryl-2,2'-bipyridine (bpy*) in [Ir(ppy)2(bpy*)]PF6 complexes: a combined experimental and theoretical study.

The synthesis of a family of 4'-functionalized 5,5'-diaryl-2,2'-bipyridines (bpy*; 6a-6g) is reported. These ligands were reacted with the dimer [(ppy)(2)IrCl](2) (ppyH = 2-phenylpyridine) and afforded, after subsequent counterion exchange, a new series of luminescent cationic heteroleptic iridium(III) complexes, [(ppy)(2)Ir(bpy*)]PF(6) (8a-8g). These complexes were characterized by electrochemical and spectroscopic methods. The crystal structures of two of these complexes (8a and 8g) are reported. All of the complexes except for 8c and 8f exhibit intense and long-lived emission in both 2-MeTHF and ACN at 77 K and room temperature. The origin of this emission has been assigned by computational modeling to be an admixture of ligand-to-ligand charge-transfer [(3)LLCT; pi(ppy) --> pi*(bpy*)] and metal-to-ligand charge-transfer [(3)MLCT; dpi(Ir) --> pi*(bpy*)] excited states that are primarily composed of the former. The luminescent properties for 8a-8c are dependent upon the functionalization at the 4' position of the aryl substituents affixed to the diimine ligand, while those for 8d-8g are essentially independent because of an electronic decoupling of the aryls and bpy due to the substitution of o,o-dimethyl groups on the aryls, causing a near 90 degrees angle between the aryl and bipyridyl moieties. A combined density functional theory (DFT)/time-dependent DFT study was conducted in order to understand the origin of the transitions in the absorption and emission spectra and to predict accurately emission energies for these complexes.