Electrochemical porperties of (H5-C5Me5)-rhodium and – iridium complexes Bis(pyrazolyl)alkane ligands

The electrochemical properties of rhodium(III) 1-3 and iridium(III) 4-6 complexes containing bis(pyrazolyl)alkane ligands [MCp*Cl(R2C(3,5-R'2pz)2)]X (M = Rh (1) or Ir (4), R = R' = H, X = Cl; M = Rh (2) or Ir (5), R=H,R'=Me,X=Cl;M=Rh(3) or Ir (6), R=Me,R'=H,X=OTf;pz=pyrazolyl;Cp*=η5-C5Me5) were investigated by cyclic voltammetry and controlled potential electrolysis. They exhibit two sequential irreversible reductions assigned to the MIII → MII and MII → MI reductions, which are dependent on the methylation of the bis(pyrazolyl)alkane ligands.

Light-Induced Structural Change in Iridium Complexes Studied by Electron Spin Resonance

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Iridium(I) complexes of phenanthroline-derived benzimidazolylidenes : synthetic, structural and catalytic studies

N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) have undergone rapid development in recent years. Due to their strong a-electron donation and structural variability properties, NHCs are becoming a major class of ligands in organometallic chemistry. Compared with the other two types of NHCs (imidazolylidenes and imidazolinylidenes), benzimidazolylidenes have not been well represented. Limited synthetic approaches may impede the development ofbenzimidazolylidenes. This thesis is focused on the synthesis of phenanthroline-derived benzimidazolylidene ligands and their metal complexes. A series of benzimidazolylidene-iridium complexes were synthesized and characterized spectroscopically and crystallographic ally. All of the new complexes showed varying degrees of catalytic activity and enantioselectivity toward transfer hydrogenation and asymmetric hydrogenation. The best results were achieved in hydrogenation of methyl-2-acetamidoacrylate, which afforded (-)-(R)-methyl-2-acetamidopropanoate in 97% yield and 81 % ee.

Asymmetric hydrogenation of alkenes with cationic iridium(I) complexes of 2-phosphino-1-aminoferrocene ligands

Iridium complexes with bidentate P,N ligands represent a class of catalysts that significantly expand the application range of asymmetric hydrogenation. New substrate classes, for which there have previously been no suitable catalysts, can now be efficiently hydrogenated in high conversion and enantioselectivity. These substrates are often of synthetic importance, thus iridium catalysis represents a significant advance in the field of asymmetric catalysis. Planar chiral ferrocenyl aminophosphine ligands in which both heteroatoms were directly bound to the cyclopentadienyl ring were prepared by BF3-activated lithiationsubstitution in the presence of a chiral diamine in 49-59% yield and 75-85% enantiomeric excess. Some of these ligands were recrystallized to enantiomeric purity via ammonium fluoroborate salt formation of the phosphine sulfide. A crystal structure of one of these compounds was obtained and features an intramolecular hydrogen bond between the nitrogen, hydrogen, and sulfur atoms. Neutralization, followed by desulfurization, provided the free ligands in enantiomeric purity. Iridium complexes with these ligands were formed via reaction with [Ir(COD)Clh followed by anion exchange with NaBArF. These complexes were successfully applied in homogeneous hydrogenation of several prochiral substrates, providing products in up to 92% enantiomeric excess. Variation of the dimethyl amino group to a pyrrolidine group had a negative effect on the selectivity of hydrogenation. Variation of the substituents on phosphorus to bulkier ortho-tolyl groups had a positive effect, while variation to the more electron rich dicyclohexyl phosphine had a negative effect on selectivity.

Inverse and regular phenyl-azole ligands for luminescent Iridium(III) complexes

In the modern society, light is mostly powered by electricity which lead to a significant increase of the global energy consumption. In order to reduce it, different kinds of electric lamps have been developed over the years; it is now accepted that phosphorescence-based OLEDs offer many advantages over existing light technologies. Iridium complexes are considered excellent candidates for bright materials by virtue of the possibility to easily tune the wavelength of the emitted radiation, by appropriate modifications of the nature of the ligands. It is important to note that the synthesis of Ir(III) blue-emitting complexes is a very challenging goal, because of wide HOMO-LUMO gaps needed for produce a deep blue emission. During my thesis I planned the synthesis of two different series of new Ir(III) heteroleptic complexes, the C and the N series, using cyclometalating ligands containing an increasing number of nitrogens in inverse and regular position. I successfully performed in the synthesis of the required four ligands, i.e. 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1H-imidazole (2), 4-phenyl-1-methyl-1,2,3-triazole (3), 1-phenyl-1H-1,2,3-triazole (6) and 1-phenyl-1H-tetrazole (7), that differ in the number of nitrogens present in the heterocyclic ring and in the position of the phenyl ring. Therefore the cyclometalation of the obtained ligands to get the corresponding Ir(III)-complexes was attempted. I succeeded in the synthesis of two Ir(III)-complexes of the C series, and I carried out various attempts to set up the appropriate reaction conditions to get the remaining desired derivatives. The work is still in progress, and once all the desired complexes will be synthesized and characterized, a correlation between their structure and their emitting properties could be formulated analysing and comparing the photophysical data of the real compounds.

Iridium(III)-surfactant complex immobilized in mesoporous silica via templated synthesis: a new route to optical materials

In this work we report the preparation of a new blue-emitting material based on the templated synthesis of mesoporous silica (MCM-41) using micellar solutions of the newly synthesized monocationic metallosurfactant complex bis[1-benzyl-4-(2,4-difluorophenyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazole](4,4'-diheptadecyl-2,2'- bipyridine)-iridium(III) chloride in hexadecyl-trimethyl-ammonium bromide (CTAB). Under ambient conditions, significant increases in excited state lifetime and quantum yield values (up to 45%), were obtained for the solid materials in comparison to the corresponding micellar solutions. Solid state (1)H and (19)F NMR spectroscopies were successfully employed for quantifying the luminophore content in terms of Ir-surfactant to CTAB and Ir-surfactant to silica ratios.

New functionalized ligands for luminescent metal complexes: from design to applications

The synthesis of luminescent metal complexes is a very challenging task since they can be regarded as the starting point for a lot of different areas. Luminescent complexes, in fact, can be used for technological, industrial, medical and biological applications. During my PhD I worked with different metals having distinguishing intrinsic properties that make them different from each other and, in particular, more or less suitable for the different possible uses. Iridium complexes show the best photophysical properties: they have high quantum yields, very long lifetimes and possess easily tunable emissions throughout the visible range. On the other hand, Iridium is very expensive and scarcely available. The aim of my work concerning this metal was, therefore, to synthesize ligands able not only to form luminescent complexes, but also able to add functionalities to the final complex, increasing its properties, and therefore its possible practical uses. Since Re(I) derivatives have been reported to be suitable as probes in biological system, and the use of Re(I) reduces the costs, the synthesized bifunctional ligands containing a pyridine-triazole and a biotin unit were employed to obtain new Re(I) luminescent probes. Part of my work involved the design and synthesis of new ligands able to form stable complexes with Eu(III) and Ce(III) salts, in order to obtain an emission in the range of visible light: these two metals are quite cheap and relatively non-toxic compared to other heavy metals. Finally, I plan to synthesize organic derivatives that already possessed an emission thanks to the presence of other many chromophoric groups and can be able to link the Zinc (II), a low cost and especially non-toxic “green” metal. Zinc has not its own emission, but when it sticks to ligands, it increases their photophysical properties.

Direct C–H silylation and borylation of biomass derivatives by iridium heterogeneous catalysts

Furfural and its derivatives represent renewable and readily available platforms for a wide range of chemicals. Much attention has been devoted to their functionalization over the last years. TM-catalysed C–H activation has emerged as a powerful tool for synthesizing new C–C and C–X bonds. Moreover, it provides a sustainable way to obtain molecules by reducing waste and saving steps. At the same time, iridium catalysts have proven to be very active in some C–H functionalizations of several (hetero)arenes. Although very promising, this technique is still poorly applied on an industrial scale due to the severe conditions required. Continuous flow chemistry using heterogeneous catalysts appears to be a valuable way to overcome these problems. In this work, we present different solutions for the immobilization of homogeneous iridium complexes on silica gels, using bidentate amines and phosphines as anchoring ligands. We successfully employed the catalysts in C–H silylation and borylation of furfural, using C2 located directing group. In this way, we finally obtained a suitable catalyst that could be potentially applied in continuous-flow chemistry.

Simulação de propriedades espectroscópicas e estruturais de materiais orgânicos para a aplicação em dispositivos

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Complexos intermetálicos de irídio e európio: sensibilização via banda de transferência de carga metal-ligante

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

A hydrogen-1 nuclear magnetic resonance, mass spectral and extended Hückel study of some olefin complexes of rhodium(I) and iridium(I) and the crystal and molecular structure of η4-2,4-dimethylpenta-1,4-diene(η5-formylcyclopentadienyl)rhodium(I)

A 1H NMR study of monosubstituted η-cyclopentadienyl-rhodium(I) complexes of type LLRh(C5H4X) and -iridium(I) complexes of type L2Ir(C5H4X) (L = ethene, LL = 1,3- or 1,5-diolefin; X = C(C6H5)3, CHO, or COOCH3) has been carried out. For complexes of both metals in which the neutral ligand is ethene or a non-conjugated diolefin the NMR spectra of the cyclopentadienyl protons are unusual in that H(2), H(5) resonate to high field either at room temperature or below. The corresponding NMR spectra for the cyclopentadienyl ring protons of complexes where the neutral ligand is a conjugated diene are, with one exception, normal. A single crystal X-ray structural analysis of (η4-2,4-dimethylpenta-1,4-diene)(η5-formylcyclopentadienyl)rhodium(I) (which exhibits an abnormal 1H NMR spectrum) reveals substantial localisation of electron density in the C(3)C(4) Cp ring bond (1.283(33) Å) which may be consistent with a contribution from an ‘allyl-ene’ rotamer to the ring—metal bonding scheme. An extended Hückel calculation with self consistent charge iteration was performed on this complex. The results predict a greater Mulliken overlap population for the C(3)C(4) bond in the cyclopentadienyl ring and show that the localisation is dependent on both the Cp ring substituent and the nature of the diolefin. The mass spectral fragmentation patterns of some representative diene complexes of iridium(I) and rhodium(I) are presented.

Ligand-centred reactivity of bis(picolyl)amine iridium: sequential deprotonation, oxidation and oxygenation of a "non-innocent" ligand

Treatment of [Ir(bpa)(cod)](+) complex [1](+) with a strong base (e.g., tBuO(-)) led to unexpected double deprotonation to form the anionic [Ir-(bpa-2H)(cod)](-) species [3](-), via the mono-deprotonated neutral amido complex [Ir(bpa-H)(cod)] as an isolable intermediate. A certain degree of aromaticity of the obtained metal-chelate ring may explain the favourable double deprotonation. The rhodium analogue [4](-) was prepared in situ. The new species [M(bpa-2H)(cod)](-) (M = Rh, Ir) are best described as two-electron reduced analogues of the cationic imine complexes [M-I(cod)(Py-CH2-N=CH-Py)](+). One-electron oxidation of [3](-) and [4](-) produced the ligand radical complexes [3]* and [4]*. Oxygenation of [3](-) with O-2 gave the neutral carboxamido complex [Ir(cod)(py-CH2-N-CO-py)] via the ligand radical complex [3]* as a detectable intermediate.

Luminescent Ionic Transition-Metal Complexes for Light-Emitting Electrochemical Cells

The European Union set the ambitious target of reducing energy consumption by 20% within 2020. This goal demands a tremendous change in how we generate and consume energy and urgently calls for an aggressive policy on energy efficiency. Since 19% of the European electrical energy is used for lighting, considerable savings can be achieved with the development of novel and more efficient lighting systems. In this thesis, accomplished in the frame of the EU project CELLO, I report some selected goals we achieved attempting to develop highly efficient, flat, low cost and flexible light sources using Light-Emitting Electrochemical Cells (LECs), based on ionic cyclometalated iridium(III) complexes. After an extensive introduction about LECs and solid-state lighting in general, I focus on the research we carried out on cyclometalated iridium(III) complexes displaying deep-blue emission, which has turned out to be a rather challenging task. In order to demonstrate the wide versatility of this class of compounds, I also report a case in which some tailored iridium(III) complexes act as near-infrared (NIR) sources. In fact, standard NIR emitting devices are typically expensive and, also in this case, LECs could serve as low-cost alternatives in fields were NIR luminescence is crucial, such as telecommunications and bioimaging. Since LECs are based on only one active material, in the last chapter I stress the importance of an integrated approach toward the right selection of suitable emitters not only from the photophysical, but also from the point of view of material science. An iridium(III) complex, once in the device, is interacting with ionic liquids, metal cathodes, electric fields, etc. All these interactions should be taken in to account if Europe really wants to implement more efficient lighting paradigms, generating light beyond research labs.

Design of luminescent metal complexes for polymer science

The program of my PhD studies has been dealing with the investigation of the research outcomes that may result from the use of luminescent Iridium(III) cyclometalated complexes in the field of polymer science. In particular, my activity has been focused on exploring two main applicative contexts, i.e. Ir(III) complexes for preparing polymers and in combination with polymers. In the first part, a new set of luminescent Ir(III) complexes was exploited as photocatalysts for light-assisted atom transfer radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate. The decoration of both cyclometalated and ancillary ligands with sp3 hybridized nitrogen substituents together with the use of specific counterions, imparted suitable photophysical and redox properties for an efficient photocatalyzed process. The second part has been focused on the employment of Ir(III) tetrazole complexes as phosphorescent dyes in polymeric materials. Colourless luminescent solar concentrators were prepared blending two Ir(III) cyclometalates with acrylate polymers. Their performances were investigated, leading to promising outcomes comparable, or superior, to those obtained from colourless LSCs based on organic fluorophores. As a complementary approach, Ir(III) complexes were covalently linked to polymers in the side chain, to obtain a new class of metallopolymers. To this extent, a bifunctional tetrazolate molecule, equipped with a coordination site and a polymerizable unit, was designed. The photophysical properties of the resultant luminescent polymeric films were discussed. In the end, an additional project involving both polymers and metal compounds was carried out during my experience as a visiting PhD student at Humboldt – University of Berlin. Polystyrene and polyethylene glycol -based ion-exchange resins were functionalized with peptides through a ligation pathway, for the selective chelation of Copper(II) in aqueous solutions. The coordinating capability of the materials towards Cu2+ ions was tested by ICP-MS analysis. The resins strategically modified with ion-selective peptides, may be exploited in the preparation of water-processing devices.

Communication: Transient Anion States Of Phenol…(h₂o)n (n = 1, 2) Complexes: Search For Microsolvation Signatures.

We report on the shape resonance spectra of phenol-water clusters, as obtained from elastic electron scattering calculations. Our results, along with virtual orbital analysis, indicate that the well-known indirect mechanism for hydrogen elimination in the gas phase is significantly impacted on by microsolvation, due to the competition between vibronic couplings on the solute and solvent molecules. This fact suggests how relevant the solvation effects could be for the electron-driven damage of biomolecules and the biomass delignification [E. M. de Oliveira et al., Phys. Rev. A 86, 020701(R) (2012)]. We also discuss microsolvation signatures in the differential cross sections that could help to identify the solvated complexes and access the composition of gaseous admixtures of these species.