Multifunctional mononuclear bisthienylethene-cobalt(II) complexes: structures, slow magnetic relaxation and photochromic behavior.

Based on two new bisthienylethenes containing N,O-donor binding sites, 2-(2-hydroxy-5-bromo-phenyl)-4,5-bis(2,5-dimethyl(3-thienyl))-1H-imidazole (BrLH) and 2-(2-hydroxy-5-diethylphosphono-phenyl)-4,5-bis(2,5-dimethyl(3-thienyl))-1H-imidazole (PLH), multifunctional mononuclear complexes Co(BrL)2·3CH3OH (1) and Co(PL)2·2CH3OH (2) have been synthesized and characterized by crystallographic analysis. In the molecular structures of 1 and 2, the Co(II) ion adopts a distorted tetrahedral coordination geometry, and is coordinated by two nonequivalent bisthienylethene molecules (BrL− in 1, PL− in 2), showing non-photoactive parallel and photoactive antiparallel conformations, respectively. Compounds 1 and 2 show a distinct distortion of Co(II) coordination geometry, with bond angles of N­Co­N = 112.71(12)° and O­Co­O = 99.87(11)° for 1 and N­Co­N = 119.93(12)° and O­Co­O = 107.31(13)° for 2. Thus, 1 and 2 revealed different magnetic behaviors, which are demonstrated by the χMT vs. T plots, and the frequency dependence of the χ'M and χ''M signals at low temperature. Besides the field-induced slow magnetic relaxation, both 1 and 2 also showed photochromic behavior. Upon irradiation with 360 nm light for 1 and 343 nm light for 2, their CH2Cl2­CH3CN solutions could change color from being nearly colorless to blue purple. It was demonstrated that the substituent groups of Br atom and ­PO(OEt)2 in 1 and 2, respectively, could significantly influence their crystal structures, magnetic relaxations and photochromic properties.

Heteroleptic Ir(III) complexes based on 2-(2,4-difluorophenyl)-pyridine and bisthienylethene: structures, luminescence and photochromic properties.

Two bisthienylethenes 2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-4,5-bis[2,5-dimethyl(3-thienyl)]-1H-imidazole (L1H) and 2-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-4,5-bis(2,5-dimethyl(3-thienyl))-1-phenyl-imidazole (L2H), which have a chelating N,O-donor binding site attached to the photochromic core, have been synthesized using a one-pot condensation reaction, and used to prepare the heteroleptic complexes [Ir(dfppy)2(L1)]·2CH3OH (1) and [Ir(dfppy)2(L2)] (2) [dfppyH = 2-(2,4-difluorophenyl)-pyridine]. In the crystal structures of all four compounds, two thiophene groups of each bisthienylethene molecule adopt parallel conformation. Neighboring molecules in L1H and 1 are linked into supramolecular chains through hydrogen bonds. Particularly, the packing structure of 1 contains right- and left-handed 21 helical chains. In contrast, neighboring molecules in L2H and 2 interact only through van der Waals interactions. At room temperature, L1H and L2H in CH2Cl2 show fluorescence emission at 442 nm and 469 nm, respectively. Compounds 1 and 2 in CH2Cl2 reveal broad emission band characteristics of the Ir(III)/dfppy(-) chromophores at 508 nm and 494 nm, respectively, with a mixing of (3)MLCT and (3)LC characters. At room temperature, the photochromism ability of L2H in CH2Cl2 is clearly weaker than that of L1H. Moreover, no photochromism has been observed in 1 and 2. It has been demonstrated that both the substituent group and {Ir(dfppy)2}(+) coordination could significantly influence the crystal structures, luminescence and photochromic properties of L1H, L2H, 1 and 2.