Three novel bismuth–organic
compounds, with the general
formula [Bi2(HPDC)2(PDC)2]·(arene)·2H2O (H2PDC = 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid; arene
= pyrene, naphthalene, and azulene), that consist of neutral dinuclear
Bi-pyridinedicarboxylate complexes and outer coordination sphere arene
molecules were synthesized and structurally characterized. The structures
of all three phases exhibit strong π–π stacking
interactions between the Bi-bound PDC/HPDC and outer sphere organic
molecules; these interactions effectively sandwich the arene molecules
between bismuth complexes and thereby prevent molecular vibrations.
Upon UV irradiation, the compounds containing pyrene and naphthalene
displayed red and green emission, respectively, with quantum yields
of 1.3(2) and 30.8(4)%. The emission was found to originate from the
T1 → S0 transition of the corresponding
arene and result in phosphorescence characteristic of the arene employed.
By comparison, the azulene-containing compound displayed very weak
blue-purple phosphorescence of unknown origin and is a rare example
of T2 → S0 emission from azulene. The
pyrene- and naphthalene-containing compounds both display radioluminescence,
with intensities of 11 and 38% relative to bismuth germanate, respectively.
Collectively, these results provide further insights into the structure–property
relationships that underpin luminescence from Bi-based materials and
highlight the utility of Bi–organic molecules in the realization
of organic emission.