Circularly polarized phosphorescence with a large dissymmetry factor from a helical platinum(II) complex.

A chiral platinum(II) complex with a helical Schiff-base [4]helicene ligand exhibits intense red circularly polarized phosphorescence (CPP) with a glum of 0.010 in the dilute solution state. The intense CPP was caused by a change in the electronic transition character based on the induction of the helical structure.

Assembling of a Water-Soluble N

We report an unprecedented result of self-aggregation of [Pt(L1 )Cl] (HL1 =1,3-di(5-carboxy-2-pyridyl)benzene) triggered by CO2 in basic aqueous solution. The color of basic aqueous solution containing [Pt(L1 )Cl] changes from yellow to blue-green during the aggregation resulted from a reaction with CO2 in air. Upon CO2 gas bubbling, strong and broad absorption bands of aggregate assigned to the metal-metal-to-ligand charge-transfer transition appeared at 701 and 1152 nm. Recrystallization of [Pt(L1 )Cl] from Na2 CO3 aqueous solution afforded polymorphic crystals of red and blue-green forms. A single X-ray crystallography revealed that the red form of crystal consists of a Pt-Pt stacked dimer bridged by CO3 2- ion and one of the carboxy groups of L1 is deprotonated. An elemental analysis provided evidence that the blue-green crystal is constructed by linear array consisting of the [Pt(L2 )(CO3 )]3- (HL2 =1,3-di(5-carboxylate-2-pyridyl)benzene) units. The formation process of blue-green aggregate in aqueous solution was monitored through a transient absorption spectrum, and the absorption of aggregates involved in the spectral change were examined by a global analysis. A singular value decomposition and kinetic analysis provide that there are four species resulted from the self-assembling reaction in the solution and the maximal degree of aggregation is at least 32-mer.

Kinetic Formation of Pt-Pt Dimers of Cationic and Neutral Platinum(II) Complexes under Rapid Freeze Conditions in Solution.

We report the formation of M-M dimers (M = Pt or Pd) of cationic [M(dpb)(CH3CN)]+ [dpbH = 1,3-di(2-pyridyl)benzene] and neutral [M(dpb)Cl] complexes resulting from the rapid freezing of solutions. Dimers based on M-M dz2 overlap were found to preferentially form rather than the thermodynamically favored head-to-tail π-stacking structures typically observed in the crystalline state. Kinetic dimers in glassy frozen solutions generated broad metal-metal-to-ligand charge-transfer emissions within the range of 600-800 nm at 77 K. These emissions were red-shifted relative to monomer emissions. As expected, the degree of aggregation of these complexes was affected by the concentration in each solution. Photoexcitation evidently accelerated Pt-Pt dimerization even at ambient temperature. Electrostatic attraction between [Pt(dpb)Cl]+ and [Pt(dpb)Cl]- ions resulting from disproportionation due to photoinduced electron transfer is thought to have driven excimer formation. [Pt(dpb)(CH3CN)]OTf (OTf- = trifluoromethanesulfonate ion) and its Pd(II) analogue were determined to have isostructural crystals, but a Pd-Pd stacked polymorph was not observed and the photophysics of the two complexes are evidently different.

Luminescence color change of [3,4-difluoro-2,6-bis(5-methyl-2-pyridyl)phenyl-κ3N,C1,N']cyanidoplatinum(II) by aggregation.

We have investigated the color and luminescence color changes of novel Pt(L)CN (L = 4,6-difluoro-1,3-di(2-(4-methyl)pyridyl)benzene) in solution and crystalline states that resulted from aggregation-induced emission (AIE). In the solution state, the AIE results from excimer and trimer formation in the excited states at high concentrations. We determined the emission lifetimes of the excimer and trimer to be τE = 1.72 µs and τT = 0.43 µs, respectively, and the emission quantum yields to be ϕE = 20% and ϕT = 12%, respectively, which are slightly smaller yet comparable to τM = 8.85 µs and ϕM = 67% of the monomeric species. In the crystalline state, the purple color of Pt(L)CN with no solvent of crystallization changes to red upon exposure to chloroform vapor, and the invisible emission turns to bright red emission. This phenomenon can be applied to inexpensive devices for the fast chloroform detection. The exposure of purple crystals to dichloromethane vapor causes a further redshift of the invisible emission and blue coloration, which suggests the capability of the discrimination of chloroform from dichloromethane.

Vapochromism of an iridium(III) bis-terpyridine complex based on the modulation of halide-to-ligand charge transfer transition.

We report, for the first time, a color change originating from the shift of the halide-to-ligand charge transfer (XLCT) band of the Ir(III) bis-terpyridine complex crystal in response to the sorption/desorption of water of crystallization. Red and orange coloration reversibly takes place by heat and cool treatments, respectively. Single X-ray crystallography shows that the Ir(III) complex possesses two waters of crystallization constructing a dimer structure, rO-O = 2.911 Å, by hydrogen bonding. It was found that the water dimer connects to one of the iodide ions with rO-I = 3.664 Å by hydrogen bonding and comes into contact with another iodide ion with rO-I = 3.747 Å, suggesting that water desorption from the crystal easily changes the XLCT transition arising from the interaction between the iodide ion 5p orbital and tpy π* orbital. Thermogravimetry measurement reveals the stepwise water desorption from the crystal, and powder X-ray diffraction shows the robustness of the Ir(III) complex crystal framework during the sorption/desorption cycles. Nitrogen gas flow or presence of a polar organic solvent contributes to the red-shift of the XLCT absorption band due to the desorption of water molecules resulted by the shift of equilibrium between water molecules in the crystal and vaporized water molecules. Exposure to ammonia vapor from 25% aqueous ammonia is found not to contribute to the color change of the Ir(III) complex crystal.

Reversible colour/luminescence colour changes of tetracyanoruthenium(II) complexes by sorption/desorption of water molecules in crystals.

We report colour/luminescence colour changes of M[Ru(bpy)(CN)4] crystal (M2+ = Ca2+, Sr2+, and Ba2+; bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine). The X-ray crystallographic study revealed that the crystals are constructed from linear-chains of {[Ru(bpy)(CN)4][Ca(H2O)5]}n, {[Ru(bpy)(CN)4][Sr(H2O)6]}n, and {[Ru(bpy)(CN)4]2[Ba(H2O)5]2(µ-H2O)2}n, respectively. Ru(II) complex linear chains and the hydrophilic channels composed of M2+ ion and water along them enable reversible water sorption/desorption without collapse of crystals responsible for the colour change. The emission spectra of Ca2+ and Sr2+ salts are remarkably shifted to the red side when the temperature was increased from 296 to 500 K, while Ba2+ salt shows a slight shift in the emission spectrum during the heating. The change in the interaction of M2+ ion to the equatorial CN ligand depending on the number of hydrated water molecules effectively contributes to the luminescence colour change for Ca2+ and Sr2+ salts. FT-IR spectra after heating at 473 K show the high-frequency shifts in the CN stretching mode for Sr2+ salt, while no remarkable peak shifts are observed for Ca2+ and Ba2+ salts. Thermogravimetry results indicate that heating over 470 K leads to the desorption of 5H2O from all salts, resulting in {[Ru(bpy)(CN)4][Ca]}n, {[Ru(bpy)(CN)4][Sr(H2O)]}n, and {[Ru(bpy)(CN)4]2[Ba]2(µ-H2O)2}n for linear chains. The change in the hydration structure for M2+ ions regulates the shift of CN stretching modes.

Emission Intensity Enhancement for Iridium(III) Complex in Dimethyl Sulfoxide under Photoirradiation.

We found emission intensity enhancement for fac-Ir(ppy)3 (ppy = 2-(2'-phenyl)pyridine) in aerated dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) during photoirradiation for the first time. This phenomenon was concluded to be responsible for the consumption of 3O2 dissolved in DMSO through dimethyl sulfone production by photosensitized reaction using fac-Ir(ppy)3. A 3O2 adduct of DMSO molecule was detected by UV absorption measurement and theoretical calculation. We proposed a mechanism for the emission enhancement reaction including 1,3O2 molecules and 1,3O2-DMSO adducts and validated it through a simulation of emission intensity change using an ordinary differential equation solver.

Vortex-Induced Harmonic Light Scattering of Porphyrin J-Aggregates.

An understanding of macroscopic vortex-induced chirality can provide insights into the origin of the homochirality of life. While circular dichroism measurements in stirred solutions are useful for the analysis of chiral supramolecular structures induced by vortex motion, there are no reports on the application of other spectroscopic methods. To obtain a deeper understanding of macroscopic vortex-induced chirality, it is essential to develop novel in situ spectroscopic methods that provide information about changes in both the size and chirality in stirred solutions. Here, we report the first observation by harmonic light scattering of the mirror-symmetry-breaking process of porphyrin J-aggregates under the rotation of a magnetic stirrer. The chiral supramolecular structure observed during stirring is likely due to the formation of a chiral aggregate that consists of porphyrin J-aggregates. The dissociation of the structure proceeds in two steps (a fast step and a slow step), as indicated by the signal decay rate when stirring was stopped. This novel method is useful for analyzing the supramolecular structural changes of chiral aggregates induced by external stimuli.

Dual emission from an iridium(III) complex/counter anion ion pair.

[Ir(tpy)2](PF6)3 (tpy = 2,2':6',2''-terpyridine) dissolved in CH3CN was found to exhibit dual color luminescent emission depending on the excitation wavelength. Specifically, blue and green emissions were obtained with excitation at 350 and 410 nm, respectively. Because the associated emission spectra were consistent with those of [Ir(tpy)2]Cl3 in water and [Ir(tpy)2](PF6)3 in the crystalline state, respectively, this dual emission is attributed to emissions from the [Ir(tpy)2]3+ cation and its ion pair [Ir(tpy)2]3+·PF6-. The emission is assigned to the 3π-π* transition of the ligands based on time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations. Conversely, [Ir(tpy)2]I3 in CH3CN shows emission due to [Ir(tpy)2]3+ but not [Ir(tpy)2]3+·I-, while crystalline [Ir(tpy)2]I3 emits red luminescence at 77 K that is inconsistent with that from [Ir(tpy)2]3+. Since the emission energies of crystalline [Ir(tpy)2]X3 (X- = Cl-, Br- or I-) show a good correlation with the electron affinity of X, the emissions are assigned to a counter anion to complex ion charge-transfer transition. This hypothesis is supported by TD-DFT calculations regarding [Ir(tpy)2]3+·X-.

H/D solvent isotope effects on the photoracemization reaction of enantiomeric the tris(2,2'-bipyridine)ruthenium(ii) complex and its analogues.

This work assessed solvent isotope effects on the photoracemization rate and emission lifetime for [Ru(bpy)3]2+ (bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine) in water. An analysis of the effects of temperature on photoracemization rate and emission lifetime demonstrated that the transition from one enantiomer to the other is unaffected by the isotopic composition of the solvent. The results also showed that deactivation from the metal-to-ligand charge-transfer (3MLCT) excited state to the ground state is responsible for the solvent isotope effect on the photoracemization rate. The photoracemization reaction was found to proceed via a bond-breaking mechanism. In this process, a five-coordinated species produced through breaking of the Ru-N bond in the 3d-d* state undergoes a structural change to produce an achiral five-coordinated species. An analysis of the effect of temperature on emission lifetime, excluding the activation to the 3d-d* state that leads to the structural change, showed that the solvent isotopic composition affects deactivation from the 4th MLCT state.

Recent advances in studies on the magneto-chiral dichroism of organic compounds.

Magneto-chiral dichroism (MChD) is an interesting phenomenon in which the absorbance of a chiral molecule depends on the direction of the magnetic field. As the MChD of two enantiomers is opposite in nature, MChD has received considerable attention for the development of magneto-optical devices and new asymmetric synthetic methods, as well as being an explanation for the origin of the homochirality of life. In this perspective, the theoretical background behind MChD is introduced, and then, the first examples of metal complexes and aromatic π-conjugated systems are discussed. Furthermore, the electronic properties of aromatic π-conjugated systems, such as orbital angular momentum and exciton chirality, are theoretically explained, and the possibility of MChD-based photoresolutions is described.

Chiral Supramolecular Nanoarchitectures from Macroscopic Mechanical Rotations: Effects on Enantioselective Aggregation Behavior of Phthalocyanines.

Fluid dynamics, resulting from the macroscopic mechanical rotation of either a rotary evaporator or a magnetic stirrer, has been shown to selectively induce one of two enantiomers (mirror-image structures) in certain nanoscale supramolecules. As an alternative to giving a chiral twist to synthesized supramolecules or polymers, it is a challenge to reproducibly prepare chiral species by only using macroscopic mechanical rotations. Demonstrated here is a highly reproducible method for rotary-evaporation-induced enantioselective H-aggregation of achiral phthalocyanines. Chiral induction mechanisms are proposed by using the chiroptical-sign-based absolute structures. These results will provide insight to the origin of the homochirality of life, and serves as a pioneering study in a novel scientific field in terms of admixing nanoscale molecular chemistry and macroscopic fluid dynamics.

Molecular Power Spring: Circular Dichroism Inversion of Polythiophene Aggregates from the Right-Handed Helix to Left-Handed Helix.

In molecular rotors, a type of molecular machine, spontaneous rotors without the need for an external stimulus are promising because conventional molecular rotors require a continuous energy supply. In this study, we demonstrate spontaneous transformation from kinetically favored metastable right-handed helical aggregates to thermodynamically stable left-handed helical aggregates after an evaporation procedure. In addition, we propose the conditions for preparation of metastable right-handed helical aggregates, whose chirality can be spontaneously inverted, based on kinetic analysis. This molecular power spring will be useful for designing new types of molecular machines.

Whole-cell circular dichroism difference spectroscopy reveals an in vivo-specific deca-heme conformation in bacterial surface cytochromes.

We established whole-cell circular dichroism difference spectroscopy to identify the inter-heme interaction in deca-heme cytochrome protein MtrC in whole cell. Our data showed that the heme alignment of reduced MtrC in whole cell is distinct from that in purified one, suggesting the in vivo specific electron transport kinetics.

Spiral Eu(iii) coordination polymers with circularly polarized luminescence.

A spiral-type chiral Eu(iii) coordination polymer showed strong luminescence (emission quantum yield Φf-f = 57% and photosensitized energy transfer efficiency ηsens = 53%) and effective CD and CPL properties (gCPL = 0.17) when compared with a mono-nuclear chiral Eu(iii) complex in the solid state (Φf-f = 36%, ηsens = 14%, and gCPL = 0.09).

Evaporation rate-based selection of supramolecular chirality.

We demonstrate the evaporation rate-based selection of supramolecular chirality for the first time. P-type aggregates prepared by fast evaporation, and M-type aggregates prepared by slow evaporation are kinetic and thermodynamic products under dynamic reaction conditions, respectively. These findings provide a novel solution reaction chemistry under the dynamic reaction conditions.

Determination of the Absolute Configuration of Side Chains of Basic Amino Acid Residues Using the Water-Soluble Porphyrin-Based Exciton Chirality Method.

We demonstrated that the circular dichroism (CD) exciton chirality method, based on the supramolecular interactions of meso-tetra(4-sulfonatophenyl)porphyrin (MTPPS4, M = Zn or H2), was applicable for the determination of the absolute configuration between the side chains of two basic amino acid residues of stable monomeric ß-hairpin peptides (tryptophan zipper: Trpzip). When MTPPS4 was added to an aqueous solution containing Trpzip, a bisignate CD signal was detected in the Soret band region in addition to a decrease in absorbance. These spectral changes indicated the formation of a supramolecule consisting of Trpzip and MTPPS4 via electrostatic interactions between the positively charged lysine residue of Trpzip and the negatively charged sulfonate group of MTPPS4. On the basis of the Job plots, the supramolecular structure of Trpzip-ZnTPPS4 is ZnP-Tz-ZnP or ZnP-Tz-ZnP-Tz-ZnP, whereas that of Trpzip-H2TPPS4 is -(-H2P-Tz-)n- (MP and Tz denote MTPPS4 and Trpzip, respectively). To explain the bisignate CD spectra of the supramolecules, a plausible model, that is, ZnP-Tz-ZnP, was carefully analyzed by the CD exciton chirality method: two orthogonalized electric transition dipole moments of each MTPPS4 and the effects of free rotation of MTPPS4 around the electrostatic bonding axis were considered. The exciton-coupled CD spectral pattern based on ZnTPPS4 reflected the absolute configuration between the side chains of two lysine residues. Our approach can be used to determine the absolute configuration of side chains of other peptides with two basic amino acid residues in the amino acid sequences.