Indium(II) chloride as a precursor in the synthesis of ternary (Ag–In–S) and quaternary (Ag–In–Zn–S) nanocrystals

A new indium precursor, namely, indium(II) chloride, was tested as a precursor in the synthesis of ternary Ag−In−S and quaternary Ag−In−Zn−S nanocrystals. This new precursor, being in fact a dimer of Cl2In−InCl2 chemical structure, is significantly more reactive than InCl3, typically used in the preparation of these types of nanocrystals. This was evidenced by carrying out comparative syntheses under the same reaction conditions using these two indium precursors in combination with the same silver (AgNO3) and zinc (zinc stearate) precursors. In particular, the use of indium(II) chloride in combination with low concentrations of the zinc precursor yielded spherical-shaped (D = 3.7−6.2 nm) Ag−In−Zn−S nanocrystals, whereas for higher concentrations of this precursor, rodlike nanoparticles (L = 9−10 nm) were obtained. In all cases, the resulting nanocrystals were enriched in indium (In/Ag = 1.5−10.3). Enhanced indium precursor conversion and formation of anisotropic, longitudinal nanoparticles were closely related to the presence of thiocarboxylic acid type of ligands in the reaction mixture. These ligands were generated in situ and subsequently bound to surfacial In(III) cations in the growing nanocrystals. The use of the new precursor of enhanced reactivity facilitated precise tuning of the photoluminescence color of the resulting nanocrystals in the spectral range from ca. 730 to 530 nm with photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) varying from 20 to 40%. The fabricated Ag−In−S and Ag−In−Zn−S nanocrystals exhibited the longest, reported to date, photoluminescence lifetimes of ∼9.4 and ∼1.4 μs, respectively. It was also demonstrated for the first time that ternary (Ag−In− S) and quaternary (Ag−In−Zn−S) nanocrystals could be applied as efficient photocatalysts, active under visible light (green) illumination, in the reaction of aldehydes reduction to alcohols

In-depth studies of ground- and excited-state properties of Re(I) carbonyl complexes bearing 2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine and 2,6-bis(pyrazin-2-yl)pyridine coupled with π‑conjugated aryl chromophores

In the current work, comprehensive photophysical and electrochemical studies were performed for eight rhenium(I) complexes incorporating 2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine (terpy) and 2,6-bis(pyrazin-2-yl)pyridine (dppy) with appended 1-naphthyl-, 2-naphthyl-, 9-phenanthrenyl, and 1-pyrenyl groups. Naphthyl and phenanthrenyl substituents marginally affected the energy of the MLCT absorption and emission bands, signaling a weak electronic coupling of the appended aryl group with the Re(I) center. The triplet MLCT state in these complexes is so low lying relative to the triplet 3ILaryl that the thermal population of the triplet excited state delocalized on the organic chromophore is ineffective. The attachment of the electron-rich pyrenyl group resulted in a noticeable red shift and a significant increase in molar absorption coefficients of the lowest energy absorption of the resulting Re(I) complexes due to the contribution of intraligand charge-transfer (ILCT) transitions occurring from the pyrenyl substituent to the terpy/dppy core. At 77 K, the excited states of [ReCl(CO)3(Ln-κ2N)] with 1-pyrenyl-functionalized ligands were found to have predominant 3ILpyrene/3ILCTpyrene→terpy character. The 3IL/3ILCT nature of the lowest energy excited state of [ReCl(CO)3(4′-(1-pyrenyl)-terpy-κ2N)] was also evidenced by nanosecond transient absorption and time-resolved emission spectroscopy. Enhanced room-temperature emission lifetimes of the complexes [ReCl(CO)3(Ln-κ2N)] with 1-pyrenyl-substituted ligands are indicative of the thermal activation between 3MLCT and 3IL/3ILCT excited states. Deactivation pathways occurring upon light excitation in [ReCl(CO)3(4′-(1-naphthyl)-terpy-κ2N)] and [ReCl(CO)3(4′-(1-pyrenyl)-terpy-κ2N)] were determined by femtosecond transient absorption studies

Controlling of Photophysical Behavior of Rhenium(I) Complexes with 2,6-Di(thiazol-2-yl)pyridine-Based Ligands by Pendant π-Conjugated Aryl Groups

The structure–property correlations and control of electronic excited states in transition metal complexes (TMCs) are of high significance for TMC-based functional material development. Within these studies, a series of Re(I) carbonyl complexes with aryl-substituted 2,6-di(thiazol-2-yl)pyridines (Arn-dtpy) was synthesized, and their ground- and excited-state properties were investigated. A number of condensed aromatic rings, which function as the linking mode of the aryl substituent, play a fundamental role in controlling photophysics of the resulting [ReCl(CO)3(Arn-dtpy-κ2N)]. Photoexcitation of [ReCl(CO)3(Arn-dtpy-κ2N)] with 1-naphthyl-, 2-naphthyl-, 9-phenanthrenyl leads to the population of 3MLCT. The lowest triplet state of Re(I) chromophores bearing 9-anthryl, 2-anthryl, 1-pyrenyl groups is ligand localized. The rhenium(I) complex with appended 1-pyrenyl group features long-lived room temperature emission attributed to the equilibrium between 3MLCT and 3IL/3ILCT. The excited-state dynamics in complexes [ReCl(CO)3(9-anthryl-dtpy-κ2N)] and [ReCl(CO)3(2-anthryl-dtpy-κ2N)] is strongly dependent on the electronic coupling between anthracene and {ReCl(CO)3(dtpy-κ2N)}. Less steric hindrance between the chromophores in [ReCl(CO)3(2-anthryl-dtpy-κ2N)] is responsible for the faster formation of 3IL/3ILCT and larger contribution of 3ILCTanthracene→dtpy in relation to the isomeric complex [ReCl(CO)3(9-anthryl-dtpy-κ2N)]. In agreement with stronger electronic communication between the aryl and Re(I) coordination centre, [ReCl(CO)3(2-anthryl-dtpy-κ2N)] displays room-temperature emission contributed to by 3MLCT and 3ILanthracene/3ILCTanthracene→dtpy phosphorescence. The latter presents rarely observed phenomena in luminescent metal complexes

Interactions of amino acids with aluminum octacarboxyphthalocyanine hydroxide. Experimental and DFT studies

The influence of albumin and amino acids (l-serine, glycine, l-histidine, l-tryptophan, l-cysteine) on the properties of aluminum octacarboxyphthalocyanine hydroxide (Al(OH)PcOC) was investigated in a phosphate buffer (pH 8.0). Particular attention was paid to the spectroscopic properties and photostability of Al(OH)PcOC. The effect of albumin or amino acids on the photodegradation of Al(OH)PcOC was examined in water using red light: 685 nm and daylight irradiation. Analysis of kinetic curves indicated that interaction with those molecules increases the photostability of Al(OH)PcOC. The molecular structure of Al(OH)PcOC complexes (in vacuum and in water) with axially or equatorially coordinated amino acids was studied by the B3LYP/6-31G* method, and the effects on molecular structure and electronic absorption spectrum were investigated on the basis of the density functional theory. The calculation results revealed that axial coordination significantly reduces the non-planarity of the phthalocyanine ring, and, thus, alters the electronic structure. On the other hand, hydrogen bonding of phthalocyanine side COOH groups with amino acids, in equatorial complexes, does not change the structure within the center of the phthalocyanine, and causes only a slight increase in UV–vis bands intensity, which is in perfect agreement with experimental data. [Figure not available: see fulltext.