A series of Ar-BIAN-based copper(I) complexes (where Ar-BIAN = bis(aryl)acenaphthenequinonediimine) were synthesised and characterised by (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopies, FT-IR spectroscopy, MALDI-TOF-MS spectrometry, cyclic voltammetry and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The bis-chelated complexes of general formula [Cu(Ar-BIAN)(2)]BF(4) (where Ar = C(6)H(5) (1), 4-iPrC(6)H(4) (3), 2-iPrC(6)H(4) (4)) were prepared by reaction of [Cu(NCMe)(4)]BF(4) with two equivalents of the corresponding Ar-BIAN ligands, in dichloromethane, while the mono-chelated complexes of the type [Cu(Ar-BIAN)L(2)]BF(4) (where Ar = 2,6-iPr(2)C(6)H(3), L = PhCN (6); Ar = 4-iPrC(6)H(4), L = PPh(3) (7)) were readily accessible by treatment of [Cu(NCR)(4)]BF(4) (R = Me, Ph) with one equivalent of the corresponding Ar-BIAN ligands in the absence or presence of two equivalents of PPh(3), in the same solvent. The structures of complexes 3, 4, 6 and 7 were obtained by single crystal X-ray diffraction, showing distorted tetrahedral geometries around the copper centres in all cases. The electrochemical studies of these complexes and of the already reported [Cu(2,4,6-Me(3)C(6)H(2)-BIAN)(2)]BF(4) (2) and [Cu(2,6-iPr(2)C(6)H(3)-BIAN)(NCMe)(2)] (5), demonstrated that the bis-chelated complexes 1-4 undergo a reversible one-electron reduction or oxidation processes on copper, while the mono-chelated complexes 5-7 show a partially reversible oxidation and an irreversible reduction feature. Both kinds of (Ar-BIAN)copper(I) complexes are active catalysts for the copper(I)-catalysed azide-alkyne cycloaddition reaction (CuAAC). Complex 7, bearing PPh(3) ligands, exhibits the highest catalytic activity, which is comparable with that of the typical CuSO(4)-sodium ascorbate catalyst system.

New bis- and tris(iminopyrrole)-functionalized linear (1,2-(HNC4 H3 -C(H)N)2 -C6 H4 (2), 1,3-(HNC4 H3 -C(H)N)2 -C6 H4 (3), 1,4-(HNC4 H3 -C(H)N)2 -C6 H4 (4), 4,4'-(HNC4 H3 -C(H)N)2 -(C6 H4 -C6 H4 ) (5), 1,5-(HNC4 H3 C-(H)N)2 -C10 H6 (6), 2,6-(HNC4 H3 C-(H)N)2 -C10 H6 (7), 2,6-(HNC4 H3 C-(H)N)2 -C14 H8 (8)) and star-shaped (1,3,5-(HNC4 H3 -C(H)N-1,4-C6 H4 )3 -C6 H3 (9)) π-conjugated molecules were synthesized by the condensation reactions of 2-formylpyrrole (1) with several aromatic di- and triamines. The corresponding linear diboron chelate complexes (Ph2 B[1,3-bis(iminopyrrolyl)-phenyl]BPh2 (10), Ph2 B[1,4-bis(iminopyrrolyl)-phenyl]BPh2 (11), Ph2 B[4,4'-bis(iminopyrrolyl)-biphenyl]BPh2 (12), Ph2 B[1,5-bis(iminopyrrolyl)-naphthyl]BPh2 (13), Ph2 B[2,6-bis(iminopyrrolyl)-naphthyl]BPh2 (14), Ph2 B[2,6-bis(iminopyrrolyl)-anthracenyl]BPh2 (15)) and the star-shaped triboron complex ([4',4'',4'''-tris(iminopyrrolyl)-1,3,5-triphenylbenzene](BPh2 )3 (16)) were obtained in moderate to good yields, by the treatment of 3-9 with B(C6 H5 )3 . The ligand precursors are non-emissive, whereas most of their boron complexes are highly fluorescent; their emission color depends on the π-conjugation length. The photophysical properties of the luminescent polyboron compounds were measured, showing good solution fluorescence quantum yields ranging from 0.15 to 0.69. DFT and time-dependent DFT calculations confirmed that molecules 10 and 16 are blue emitters, because only one of the iminopyrrolyl groups becomes planar in the singlet excited state, whereas the second (and third) keeps the same geometry. Compound 13, in which planarity is not achieved in any of the groups, is poorly emissive. In the other examples (11, 12, 14, and 15), the LUMO is stabilized, narrowing the gap between the highest occupied molecular orbital and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (HOMO-LUMO), and the two iminopyrrolyl groups become planar, extending the size of the π-system, to afford green to yellow emissions. Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) were fabricated by using the new polyboron complexes and their luminance was found to be in the order of 2400 cd m(-2) , for single layer devices, increasing to 4400 cd m(-2) when a hole-transporting layer is used.

The 5-substituted 2-aryliminopyrrolyl ligand precursors of the type 5-R-2-[ N-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)formimino]-1 H-pyrrole (R = 2,6-Me-CH (1a), 2,4,6-Pr-CH (1b), 2,4,6-Ph-CH (1c; reported in this work), anthracen-9-yl (1d), CPh (1e; reported in this work)) were treated with K[N(SiMe)] in toluene to yield the respective 5-R-2-[ N-(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)formimino]pyrrolyl potassium salts 2a-e in high yields. The paramagnetic 15-electron Co(II) complexes of the type [Co{κ N,N'-5-R-NCH-2-C(H)═N(2,6-Pr-CH)}(Py)Cl] (3a-e; Py = pyridine) were prepared by salt metathesis of CoCl(Py) with the respective potassium salts 2a-e in moderate to good yields. When the CoCl(THF) precursor was combined with the in situ prepared sodium salt of ligand precursor 1b, the trinuclear complex [Co{κ N, N'-5-(2,4,6-Pr-CH)-NCH-2-C(H)═N(2,6-Pr-CH)}(μ-Cl)][(μ-Cl)Co(THF)] (4) was obtained in high yields. Complexes 3a-e have high-spin electronic configurations both in solution and in the solid state. X-ray diffraction studies of complexes 3a,e confirmed distorted tetrahedral coordination geometries. Complex 4, on the other hand, is a linear trinuclear Co(II)-Co(II)-Co(II) complex with two terminal distorted tetrahedral four-coordinate sites and a central octahedral six-coordinate site, all in the high-spin state, S = 3/2, as confirmed by the magnetization measurements and DFT calculations. Solid-state magnetic measurements in both complexes 3a and 4 point to paramagnetic behavior with a significant contribution of spin-orbit coupling. Additionally, intramolecular antiferromagnetic coupling of the adjacent cobalt atoms is observed in 4. The Co(II) family 3a-d, on activation with K(HBEt), catalyzed the hydroboration of several α-olefins with pinacolborane, in good to high yields (50-80%). This system almost exclusively yielded the anti-Markovnikov (a-Mk) addition product, except when styrene was used, where the selectivity in the Markovnikov (Mk) product increased with increasing steric bulkiness of the 5-R-2-iminopyrrolyl substituent, with the a-Mk:Mk molar ratio varying from 2.33:1 (3a, R = 2,6-Me-CH) to 0.75:1 (3c, R = 2,4,6-Ph-CH). Preliminary mechanistic studies indicate that the activation by K(HBEt) gave rise to a Co(I) species, the catalyst system likely following an oxidative addition pathway.

Reactions of 2-(N-arylimino)pyrroles (HNC4H3C(H)=N-Ar) with triphenylboron (BPh3) in boiling toluene afford the respective highly emissive N,N'-boron chelate complexes, [BPh2 {κ(2)N,N'-NC4H3C(H)=N-Ar}] (Ar=C6H5 (12), 2,6-Me2-C6H3 (13), 2,6-iPr2-C6H3 (14), 4-OMe-C6H4 (15), 3,4-Me2-C6 H3 (16), 4-F-C6H4 (17), 4-NO2-C6H4 (18), 4-CN-C6H4 (19), 3,4,5-F3-C6H2 (20), and C6F5 (21)) in moderate to high yields. The photophysical properties of these new boron complexes largely depend on the substituents present on the aryl rings of their N-arylimino moieties. The complexes bearing electron-withdrawing aniline substituents 17-20 show more intense (e.g., ϕf =0.71 for Ar=4-CN-C6H4 (19) in THF), higher-energy (blue) fluorescent emission compared to those bearing electron-donating substituents, for which the emission is redshifted at the expense of lower quantum yields (ϕf=0.13 and 0.14 for Ar=4-OMe-C6H4 (15) and 3,4-Me2-C6H3 (16), respectively, in THF). The presence of substituents bulkier than a hydrogen atom at the 2,6-positions of the aryl groups strongly restricts rotation of this moiety towards coplanarity with the iminopyrrolyl ligand framework, inducing a shift in the emission to the violet region (λmax =410-465 nm) and a significant decrease in quantum yield (ϕf=0.005, 0.023, and 0.20 for Ar=2,6-Me2-C6H3 (13), 2,6-iPr2-C6H3 (14), and C6F5 (21), respectively, in THF), even when electron-withdrawing groups are also present. Density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) calculations have indicated that the excited singlet state has a planar aryliminopyrrolyl ligand, except when prevented by steric hindrance (ortho substituents). Calculated absorption maxima reproduce the experimental values, but the error is higher for the emission wavelengths. Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) have been fabricated with the new boron complexes, with luminances of the order of 3000 cd m(-2) being achieved for a green-emitting device.

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