Heteroleptic diimine copper(I) complexes with large extinction coefficients: synthesis, quantum chemistry calculations and physico-chemical properties

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Sandroni M., Kayanuma M., Rebarz M., Akdas-Kilig H., Pellegrin Y., Blart E., ...More

DALTON TRANSACTIONS, vol.42, no.40, pp.14628-14638, 2013 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier identifier

  • Publication Type: Article / Article
  • Volume: 42 Issue: 40
  • Publication Date: 2013
  • Doi Number: 10.1039/c3dt51288f
  • Journal Name: DALTON TRANSACTIONS
  • Journal Indexes: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus
  • Page Numbers: pp.14628-14638
  • Yıldız Technical University Affiliated: No

Abstract

Using the HETPHEN approach, five new heteroleptic copper(I) complexes composed of a push-pull 4,4'-styryl-6,6'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipyridine ligand and a bulky bis[(2-diphenylphosphino)phenyl]-ether (DPEphos) or a bis2,9-mesityl phenanthroline (Mes(2)Phen) were prepared and characterized by electronic absorption spectroscopy, electrochemistry, and TD-DFT calculations. These complexes exhibit very intense absorption bands in the visible region with extinction coefficient in the range of 5-7 x 10(4) M-1 cm(-1). The analysis of the position, intensity and band shape indicates a strong contribution from an intra-ligand charge-transfer transition centered on the styrylbipyridine ligand along with MLCT transitions. These new complexes experimentally demonstrate that good light harvesting properties with bis-diimine copper(I) complexes are a reality if one chooses suitable ligands in the coordination sphere. This constitutes a milestone towards using bis-diimine copper(I) complexes for solar energy conversion (artificial photosynthesis and solar cells).