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Title: Programmed twisting of phenylene–ethynylene linkages from aromatic stacking interactions

Abstract

Control over the conformation and packing of conjugated materials is an unsolved problem that prevents the rational design of organic optoelectronics, such as preventing self-quenching of luminescent molecules. Exacerbating this challenge is a general lack of widely applicable strategies for controlling packing with discrete, directional non-covalent interactions. Here, we present a series of conjugated molecules with diverse backbones of three or four arenes that feature pentafluorobenzyl ester substituents. Nearly all the compounds reveal intramolecular stacking interactions between the fluoroarene (ArF) side-chains and non-fluorinated arenes (ArH) in the middle of the chromophores; a twisted PE linkage accompanies each example of this intramolecular ArF–ArH stacking. Furthermore, these molecules can resist dramatic changes to emission upon transition from organic solution to thin film when ArF rings prevent interchromophore interactions. By broadening the structural space of conjugated backbones over which ArF–ArH stacking can twist PE linkages reliably and prevent self-quenching of solids with simple synthetic approaches, this work suggests fluorinated benzyl ester substituents adjacent to phenylene ethynylene linkages as supramolecular synthons for the crystal engineering of organic optoelectronic materials.

Authors:
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [2]; ORCiD logo [1]
  1. Tufts Univ., Medford, MA (United States). Dept. of Chemistry
  2. Massachusetts Inst. of Technology (MIT), Cambridge, MA (United States). Dept. of Chemistry
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Tufts Univ., Medford, MA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
OSTI Identifier:
1612546
Alternate Identifier(s):
OSTI ID: 1490553
Grant/Contract Number:  
SC0016423
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Journal of Materials Chemistry C
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 7; Journal Issue: 5; Journal ID: ISSN 2050-7526
Publisher:
Royal Society of Chemistry
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY

Citation Formats

Mullin, William J., Pawle, Robert H., Sharber, Seth A., Müller, Peter, and Thomas, Samuel W. Programmed twisting of phenylene–ethynylene linkages from aromatic stacking interactions. United States: N. p., 2018. Web. doi:10.1039/c8tc05612a.
Mullin, William J., Pawle, Robert H., Sharber, Seth A., Müller, Peter, & Thomas, Samuel W. Programmed twisting of phenylene–ethynylene linkages from aromatic stacking interactions. United States. https://doi.org/10.1039/c8tc05612a
Mullin, William J., Pawle, Robert H., Sharber, Seth A., Müller, Peter, and Thomas, Samuel W. Tue . "Programmed twisting of phenylene–ethynylene linkages from aromatic stacking interactions". United States. https://doi.org/10.1039/c8tc05612a. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1612546.
@article{osti_1612546,
title = {Programmed twisting of phenylene–ethynylene linkages from aromatic stacking interactions},
author = {Mullin, William J. and Pawle, Robert H. and Sharber, Seth A. and Müller, Peter and Thomas, Samuel W.},
abstractNote = {Control over the conformation and packing of conjugated materials is an unsolved problem that prevents the rational design of organic optoelectronics, such as preventing self-quenching of luminescent molecules. Exacerbating this challenge is a general lack of widely applicable strategies for controlling packing with discrete, directional non-covalent interactions. Here, we present a series of conjugated molecules with diverse backbones of three or four arenes that feature pentafluorobenzyl ester substituents. Nearly all the compounds reveal intramolecular stacking interactions between the fluoroarene (ArF) side-chains and non-fluorinated arenes (ArH) in the middle of the chromophores; a twisted PE linkage accompanies each example of this intramolecular ArF–ArH stacking. Furthermore, these molecules can resist dramatic changes to emission upon transition from organic solution to thin film when ArF rings prevent interchromophore interactions. By broadening the structural space of conjugated backbones over which ArF–ArH stacking can twist PE linkages reliably and prevent self-quenching of solids with simple synthetic approaches, this work suggests fluorinated benzyl ester substituents adjacent to phenylene ethynylene linkages as supramolecular synthons for the crystal engineering of organic optoelectronic materials.},
doi = {10.1039/c8tc05612a},
journal = {Journal of Materials Chemistry C},
number = 5,
volume = 7,
place = {United States},
year = {Tue Dec 18 00:00:00 EST 2018},
month = {Tue Dec 18 00:00:00 EST 2018}
}

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