Diastereoselective Synthesis and Photophysical Properties of Bis-Cyclometalated Ir(III) Stereoisomers with Dual Stereocenters

Abstract

Diastereoselective synthesis of bis-cyclometalated Ir(III) stereoisomers Δ/Λ-[Ir(C∧N)2(d-pro)] and Δ/Λ-[Ir(C∧N)2(l-pro)] (where C∧N is 2-phenylpyridine (Hppy), (4,6-difluorophenyl)pyridine (Hdfppy), and 2-phenylquinoline (Hpq) and pro is proline) with dual stereogenic centers at the metal and auxiliary ligand has been developed. The diastereomers Λ-l and Λ-d, and Δ-l and Δ-d exhibit distinguishable photophysical properties in both solution and the solid state. The thermodynamically stable diastereomers Λ-[Ir(ppy)2(l-pro)], Λ-[Ir(dfppy)2(l-pro)], and Λ-[Ir(pq)2(l-pro)] emit a green emission at 524 nm (Φ = 3.5% and τ = 35 ns), a blue-green emission at 480 nm (Φ = 4.5% and τ = 59 ns), and a red emission at 588 nm (Φ = 6.5% and τ = 200 ns) in DCM solution, respectively, which are blue-shifted accompanied by a large quantum yield and long lifetime relative to the corresponding unstable diastereomers Δ-[Ir(ppy)2(l-pro)] at 537 nm (Φ = 2.3% and τ = 29 ns), Δ-[Ir(dfppy)2(l-pro)] at 489 nm (Φ = 2.8% and τ = 43 ns), and Δ-[Ir(pq)2(l-pro)] at 591 nm (Φ = 5.4% and τ = 192 ns). Similar cases were also observed in crystals, but the signals were significantly red-shifted with respect to those in solution. Single-crystal structural analyses show that the Δ-l and Λ-d diastereomers exhibit larger interligand repulsion and loose molecular packing with respect to the Δ-d and Λ-l diastereomers, resulting in energy and photophysical property differences. In addition, the isomers with Δ and Λ configurations at the metal center exhibit positive and negative circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) signals, respectively, indicating that the effects of the chiral carbon atoms in pro ligands on CPL signals are negligible.