Ruthenium-Grafted Vinylhelicenes: Chiroptical Properties and Redox Switching

International audienceThe properties of mono- and bis-Ru-vinyl[6]helicene complexes (2 a and 2 b, respectively), recently synthesized by using molecular engineering of helicenes based on the grafting of lateral organometallic substituents on the π-helical backbone through a vinyl bridge, are presented. These helicene derivatives are thoroughly characterized, with special attention given to their chiroptical properties and redox switching activity. The UV/Vis and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra of P and M enantiopure species, both in the neutral and oxidized states ([2 a](·+), [2 b](·+), and [2 b](2+)), are analyzed with the aid of quantum-chemical calculations. The extended π-conjugation facilitated by the vinyl moiety, clearly visible in the electronic structures of 2 a,b, introduces new active bands in the ECD spectra that consequently lead to a significant increase in optical rotation of Ru-vinylhelicenes compared with the organic precursors. The vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) spectra were measured and calculated for both the organic and organometallic species and constitute the first examples of VCD for metal-based helicene derivatives. Finally, the redox-triggered chiroptical switching activity of 2 a,b is examined in detail by using ECD spectroscopy. The modifications of the ECD spectra in the UV/Vis and NIR region are well reproduced and rationalized by calculations

Acid/base-triggered photophysical and chiroptical switching in a series of helicenoid compounds

International audienceA series of molecules that possess two quinolines, benzoquinolines, or phenanthrolines connected in a chiral fashion by a biaryl junction along with their water-soluble derivatives was developed and characterized. The influence of the structure on the basicity of the nitrogen atoms in two heterocycles was examined and the photophysical and chiroptical switching activity of the compounds upon protonation was studied both experimentally and computationally. The results demonstrated that changes in the electronic structure of the protonated vs. neutral species, promoting a bathochromic shift of dominant electronic transitions and alternation of their character from π-to-π* to charge-transfer-type, when additionally accompanied by the high structural flexibility of a system, leading to changes in conformational preferences upon proton binding, produce particularly pronounced modifications of the spectral properties in acidic medium. The latter combined with reversibility of the read-out make some of the molecules in this series very promising multifunctional pH probes

Modulation of chiroptical and photophysical properties in helicenic rhenium(I) systems: the use of an N‐(aza[6]helicenyl)‐NHC ligand

The photophysical and chiroptical properties of a novel, chiral helicene-NHC−Re(I) complex bearing an N-(aza[6]helicenyl)-benzimidazolylidene ligand are described, showing its ability to emit yellow circularly polarized luminescence. A comparative analysis of this new system with other helicene-Re(I) complexes reported to date illustrates the impact of structural modifications on the emissive and absorptive properties

Unravelling the Structure of Magnus' Pink Salt

A combination of multinuclear ultra-wideline solid-state NMR, powder X-ray diffraction (pXRD), X-ray absorption fine structure experiments, and first principles calculations of platinum magnetic shielding tensors has been employed to reveal the previously unknown crystal structure of Magnus’ pink salt (MPS), [Pt(NH3)4][PtCl4], study the isomeric Magnus’ green salt (MGS), [Pt(NH3)4][PtCl4], and examine their synthetic precursors K2PtCl4 and Pt(NH3)4Cl2·H2O. A simple synthesis of MPS is detailed which produces relatively pure product in good yield. Broad 195Pt, 14N, and 35Cl SSNMR powder patterns have been acquired using the WURST-CPMG and BRAIN-CP/WURST-CPMG pulse sequences. Experimentally measured and theoretically calculated platinum magnetic shielding tensors are shown to be very sensitive to the types and arrangements of coordinating ligands as well as intermolecular Pt–Pt metallophilic interactions. High-resolution 195Pt NMR spectra of select regions of the broad 195Pt powder patterns, in conjunction with an array of 14N and 35Cl spectra, reveal clear structural differences between all compounds. Rietveld refinements of synchrotron pXRD patterns, guided by first principles geometry optimization calculations, yield the space group, unit cell parameters, and atomic positions of MPS. The crystal structure has P-1 symmetry and resides in a pseudotetragonal unit cell with a distance of >5.5 Å between Pt sites in the square-planar Pt units. The long Pt–Pt distances and nonparallel orientation of Pt square planes prohibit metallophilic interactions within MPS. The combination of ultra-wideline NMR, pXRD, and computational methods offers much promise for future investigation and characterization of Pt-containing systems

Synthesis, structural characterization, and chiroptical properties of planarly and axially chiral boranils

International audience2-Amino[2.2]paracyclophane reacts with salicylaldehyde or 2-hydroxyacetophenone to yield imines that then give access to a new series of boranils (8b–d) upon complexation with BF2. These novel boron-containing compounds display both planar and axial chiralities and were examined experimentally and computationally. In particular, their photophysical and chiroptical properties were studied and compared to newly prepared, simpler boranils (9a–d) exhibiting axial chirality only. Less sophisticated chiral architectures were shown to demonstrate overall stronger circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) activity

Tuned range-separated time-dependent density functional theory applied to optical rotation

For range-separated hybrid density functionals, the consequences of using system-speci fi c range-separation parameters ( γ ) in calculations of optical rotations (ORs) are investigated. Computed ORs at three wavelengths are reported for methyloxirane, norbornenone, β -pinene, [6]helicene, [7]helicene, and two derivatives of [6]helicene. The γ parameters are adjusted such that Kohn Sham density functional calculations satisfy the condition ε HOMO ( N ) = IP. For β -pinene, the behavior of the energy as a function of fractional total charge is also tested. For the test set of molecules, comparisons of ORs with available coupled-cluster and experimental data indicate that the γ “ tuning ” leads to improved results for β -pinene and the helicenes and does not do too much harm in other cases