No abstract

Bis-phosphoryl-bridged stilbenes have been synthesized using an intramolecular cascade cyclization. They show intense blue fluorescences at longer wavelengths with higher quantum yields compared to those of the known element-bridged stilbenes. In addition, they have much lower reduction potentials due to the inductive effect of phosphoryl groups. The incorporation of the phosphoryl moiety is an effective way for the construction of highly electron-accepting pi-conjugated systems.

A homologous series of bis-silicon-bridged stilbenes has been synthesized on the basis of a new intramolecular reductive cyclization of bis(o-silyl)-diphenylacetylene. Thus, the reaction of bis(o-silyl)-diphenylacetylenes with excess lithium naphthalenide undergoes the two-electron reduction at the acetylene moiety to produce a dianion intermediate, which further undergoes a double cyclization in a 5-exo mode to produce the bis-silicon-bridged stilbenes. This methodology can also be applied to the synthesis of tetrakis-silicon-bridged bis(styryl)benzenes. The silicon-bridged pi-conjugated systems thus prepared show intense fluorescence in the visible region. Comparison of a bis-silicon-bridged stilbene with its carbon analogue demonstrates the substantial effects of the silicon-bridges on the electronic structures and thus on the fluorescence properties.