Control of Dynamic sp3-C Stereochemistry (2023)
Journal Article
Bismillah, A., Johnson, T., Hussein, B., Turley, A., Saha, P., Wong, H., …McGonigal, P. (2023). Control of Dynamic sp3-C Stereochemistry. Nature Chemistry, 15(5), 615-624. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-023-01156-7

Stereogenic sp3-hybridized carbon centres are fundamental building blocks of chiral molecules. Unlike dynamic stereogenic motifs, such as sp3-nitrogen centres or atropisomeric biaryls, sp3-carbon centres are usually fixed, requiring intermolecular re... Read More about Control of Dynamic sp3-C Stereochemistry.

Rupturing aromaticity by periphery overcrowding (2023)
Journal Article
Saha, P. K., Mallick, A., Turley, A. T., Bismillah, A. N., Danos, A., Monkman, A. P., …McGonigal, P. R. (2023). Rupturing aromaticity by periphery overcrowding. Nature Chemistry, 15(4), 516-525. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41557-023-01149-6

The balance between strain relief and aromatic stabilization dictates the form and function of non-planar π-aromatics. Overcrowded systems are known to undergo geometric deformations, but the energetically favourable π-electron delocalization of thei... Read More about Rupturing aromaticity by periphery overcrowding.

Tuning Emission Lifetimes of Ir(C^N)2(acac) Complexes with Oligo(phenyleneethynylene) Groups (2023)
Journal Article
Davidson, R., Hsu, Y., Fox, M. A., Aguilar, J. A., Yufit, D., & Beeby, A. (2023). Tuning Emission Lifetimes of Ir(C^N)2(acac) Complexes with Oligo(phenyleneethynylene) Groups. Inorganic Chemistry, 62(6), 2793-2805. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.2c03934

Emissive compounds with long emission lifetimes (μs to ms) in the visible region are of interest for a range of applications, from oxygen sensing to cellular imaging. The emission behavior of Ir(ppy)2(acac) complexes (where ppy is the 2-phenylpyridyl... Read More about Tuning Emission Lifetimes of Ir(C^N)2(acac) Complexes with Oligo(phenyleneethynylene) Groups.

Platinum(IV) Complexes with Tridentate, NNC-Coordinating Ligands: Synthesis, Structures, and Luminescence (2023)
Journal Article
Dikova, Y. M., Yufit, D. S., & Williams, J. G. (2023). Platinum(IV) Complexes with Tridentate, NNC-Coordinating Ligands: Synthesis, Structures, and Luminescence. Inorganic Chemistry, 62(4), 1306-1322. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.2c04116

Platinum(II) complexes of NNC-cyclometalating ligands based on 6-phenyl-2,2′-bipyridine (HL1) have been widely investigated for their luminescence properties. We describe how PtL1Cl and five analogues with differently substituted aryl rings, PtL2–6Cl... Read More about Platinum(IV) Complexes with Tridentate, NNC-Coordinating Ligands: Synthesis, Structures, and Luminescence.

Near-infrared electroluminescence beyond 940 nm in Pt(N^C^N)X complexes: influencing aggregation with the ancillary ligand X (2022)
Journal Article
Salthouse, R. J., Pander, P., Yufit, D. S., Dias, F. B., & Williams, J. G. (2022). Near-infrared electroluminescence beyond 940 nm in Pt(N^C^N)X complexes: influencing aggregation with the ancillary ligand X. Chemical Science, 13(45), 13600-13610. https://doi.org/10.1039/d2sc05023d

We present a study of aggregate excited states formed by complexes of the type Pt(N^C^N)X, where N^C^N represents a tridentate cyclometallating ligand, and X = SCN or I. These materials display near-infrared (NIR) photoluminescence in film and electr... Read More about Near-infrared electroluminescence beyond 940 nm in Pt(N^C^N)X complexes: influencing aggregation with the ancillary ligand X.

Divergent Approach for Tris-Heteroleptic Cyclometalated Iridium Complexes Using Triisopropylsilylethynyl-Substituted Synthons (2022)
Journal Article
Edkins, R. M., Hsu, Y., Fox, M. A., Yufit, D., Beeby, A., & Davidson, R. J. (2022). Divergent Approach for Tris-Heteroleptic Cyclometalated Iridium Complexes Using Triisopropylsilylethynyl-Substituted Synthons. Organometallics, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.organomet.2c00292

Bis-heteroleptic cyclometalated iridium complexes of the form Ir(La)2(acac), where La is a substituted 2-phenylpyridine derivative and acac is an acetylacetonato ligand, are a useful class of luminescent organometallic complexes for a range of applic... Read More about Divergent Approach for Tris-Heteroleptic Cyclometalated Iridium Complexes Using Triisopropylsilylethynyl-Substituted Synthons.

Excimer or aggregate? Near infrared electro- and photoluminescence from multimolecular excited states of N^C^N-coordinated platinum(ii) complexes (2022)
Journal Article
Pander, P., Sil, A., Salthouse, R. J., Harris, C. W., Walden, M. T., Yufit, D. S., …Dias, F. B. (2022). Excimer or aggregate? Near infrared electro- and photoluminescence from multimolecular excited states of N^C^N-coordinated platinum(ii) complexes. Journal of Materials Chemistry C Materials for optical and electronic devices, 10(40), 15084-15095. https://doi.org/10.1039/d2tc01511k

We present an experimental and theoretical study of aggregate excited states formed by complexes of the type Pt(N^C^N)Cl, which display near-infrared (NIR) photoluminescence in film and NIR electroluminescence in OLED devices. Here, N^C^N represents... Read More about Excimer or aggregate? Near infrared electro- and photoluminescence from multimolecular excited states of N^C^N-coordinated platinum(ii) complexes.

From Phosphorescence to Delayed Fluorescence in One Step: Tuning Photophysical Properties by Quaternisation of an sp2-Hybridised Nitrogen Atom (2022)
Journal Article
Klimash, A., Prlj, A., Yufit, D., Mallick, A., Curchod, B., McGonigal, P., …Etherington, M. (2022). From Phosphorescence to Delayed Fluorescence in One Step: Tuning Photophysical Properties by Quaternisation of an sp2-Hybridised Nitrogen Atom. Journal of Materials Chemistry C Materials for optical and electronic devices, 10(25), 9484-9491. https://doi.org/10.1039/d2tc01737g

Control of the delayed emission of organic compounds is an important factor in the development of new display technology and for the emerging use of organic emitters in sensing and fluorescence microscopy. In particular, there is a need to understand... Read More about From Phosphorescence to Delayed Fluorescence in One Step: Tuning Photophysical Properties by Quaternisation of an sp2-Hybridised Nitrogen Atom.

Extended Conjugation Attenuates the Quenching of Aggregation-Induced Emitters by Photocyclization Pathways (2022)
Journal Article
Turley, A., Saha, P., Danos, A., Bismillah, A., Monkman, A., Yufit, D., …McGonigal, P. (2022). Extended Conjugation Attenuates the Quenching of Aggregation-Induced Emitters by Photocyclization Pathways. Angewandte Chemie International Edition, 61(24), Article e202202193. https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202202193

Herein, we expose how the antagonistic relationship between solid-state luminescence and photocyclization of oligoaryl alkenes chromophores is modulated by the conjugation length of their alkenyl backbones. Heptaaryl cycloheptatriene molecular rotors... Read More about Extended Conjugation Attenuates the Quenching of Aggregation-Induced Emitters by Photocyclization Pathways.

Luminescent bis-tridentate iridium(III) complexes: Overcoming the undesirable reactivity of trans-disposed metallated rings using –N^N^N–coordinating bis(1,2,4-triazolyl)pyridine ligands (2021)
Journal Article
Walden, M. T., Yufit, D. S., & Williams, J. G. (2022). Luminescent bis-tridentate iridium(III) complexes: Overcoming the undesirable reactivity of trans-disposed metallated rings using –N^N^N–coordinating bis(1,2,4-triazolyl)pyridine ligands. Inorganica Chimica Acta, 532, Article 120737. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ica.2021.120737

Nine new iridium(III) complexes featuring two tridentate ligands have been synthesised of the form Ir(N^C^N)(–N^N^N–), where N^C^N represents a cyclometallating ligand based on 1,3-di(2-pyridyl)benzene and –N^N^N– is a doubly deprotonated bis(1,2,4-t... Read More about Luminescent bis-tridentate iridium(III) complexes: Overcoming the undesirable reactivity of trans-disposed metallated rings using –N^N^N–coordinating bis(1,2,4-triazolyl)pyridine ligands.

Synthesis, structures and luminescence properties of N^C^N-coordinated platinum(II) complexes based on an anthracene core: a red shift and a twist (2021)
Journal Article
Wood, E. A., Gildea, L. F., Yufit, D. S., & Williams, J. G. (2021). Synthesis, structures and luminescence properties of N^C^N-coordinated platinum(II) complexes based on an anthracene core: a red shift and a twist. Polyhedron, 207, Article 115401. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.poly.2021.115401

1,8-Bis(2-pyridyl)anthracene HL2 is shown to act as a tridentate, N^C^N-coordinating ligand to platinum(II), undergoing metallation at position 9 of the anthracene. The structures of Pt(N^C^N-L2)Cl and of HL2 have been determined by X-ray diffraction... Read More about Synthesis, structures and luminescence properties of N^C^N-coordinated platinum(II) complexes based on an anthracene core: a red shift and a twist.

Revealing Resonance Effects and Intramolecular Dipole Interactions in the Positional Isomers of Benzonitrile-Core Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence Materials (2019)
Journal Article
Kukhta, N., Higginbotham, H., Matulaitis, T., Danos, A., Bismillah, A., Haase, N., …Monkman, A. (2019). Revealing Resonance Effects and Intramolecular Dipole Interactions in the Positional Isomers of Benzonitrile-Core Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence Materials. Journal of Materials Chemistry C Materials for optical and electronic devices, 7(30), 9184-9194. https://doi.org/10.1039/c9tc02742d

We report on the properties of the three positional isomers of (2,7-di-tert-butyl-9,9-dimethylacridin-10(9H)-yl)benzonitrile, which are found to have comparable donor steric environments and donor–acceptor dihedral angles. An unexpected intramolecula... Read More about Revealing Resonance Effects and Intramolecular Dipole Interactions in the Positional Isomers of Benzonitrile-Core Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence Materials.

Highly Linearized Twisted Iridium(III) Complexes (2018)
Journal Article
Davidson, R., Hsu, Y., Griffiths, G. C., Li, C., Yufit, D., Pal, R., & Beeby, A. (2018). Highly Linearized Twisted Iridium(III) Complexes. Inorganic Chemistry, 57(22), 14450-14462. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.8b02818

Sonogashira coupling with alkyne iridium(phenylpyridine)2(acetylacetone) synthons is used to produce highly linearized twisted iridium(III) complexes with lengths of up to 5 nm. These complexes were mechanically aligned in a polymer matrix, showing a... Read More about Highly Linearized Twisted Iridium(III) Complexes.

Shape-Selective Crystallisation of Fluxional Carbon Cages (2018)
Journal Article
Bismillah, A., Sturala, J., Chapin, B., Yufit, D., Hodgkinson, P., & McGonigal, P. (2018). Shape-Selective Crystallisation of Fluxional Carbon Cages. Chemical Science, 9(46), 8631-8636. https://doi.org/10.1039/c8sc04303e

Dynamic covalent rearrangements of fluxional carbon cages, such as bullvalenes and barbaralanes, impart ‘shapeshifting’ molecular properties. Here, a series of five barbaralanes each interconvert dynamically between two constitutional isomers in solu... Read More about Shape-Selective Crystallisation of Fluxional Carbon Cages.

Conductance of ‘bare-bones’ tripodal molecular wires (2018)
Journal Article
Davidson, R. J., Milan, D. C., Al-Owaedi, O. A., Ismael, A. K., Nichols, R. J., Higgins, S. J., …Beeby, A. (2018). Conductance of ‘bare-bones’ tripodal molecular wires. RSC Advances, 8(42), 23585-23590. https://doi.org/10.1039/c8ra01257a

Controlling the orientation of molecular conductors on the electrode surfaces is a critical factor in the development of single-molecule conductors. In the current study, we used the scanning tunnelling microscopy-based break junction (STM-BJ) techni... Read More about Conductance of ‘bare-bones’ tripodal molecular wires.

Exploring the Chemistry and Photophysics of Substituted Picolinates Positional Isomers in Iridium(III) Bisphenylpyridine Complexes (2017)
Journal Article
Davidson, R., Hsu, Y., Bhagani, C., Yufit, D., & Beeby, A. (2017). Exploring the Chemistry and Photophysics of Substituted Picolinates Positional Isomers in Iridium(III) Bisphenylpyridine Complexes. Organometallics, 36(15), 2727-2735. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.organomet.7b00179

A simple and versatile route for modifying picolinate ligands coordinated to iridium is described. Reacting a μ-chloro iridium(C∧N) dimer (where C∧N is a phenylpyridine-based ligand) with bromopicolinic acid (HpicBr) yields the corresponding iridium(... Read More about Exploring the Chemistry and Photophysics of Substituted Picolinates Positional Isomers in Iridium(III) Bisphenylpyridine Complexes.

Insulated molecular wires: inhibiting orthogonal contacts in metal complex based molecular junctions (2017)
Journal Article
Al-Owaedi, O. A., Bock, S., Milan, D. C., Oerthel, M., Inkpen, M. S., Yufit, D. S., …Low, P. J. (2017). Insulated molecular wires: inhibiting orthogonal contacts in metal complex based molecular junctions. Nanoscale, 9(28), 9902-9912. https://doi.org/10.1039/c7nr01829k

Metal complexes are receiving increased attention as molecular wires in fundamental studies of the transport properties of metal|molecule|metal junctions. In this context we report the single-molecule conductance of a systematic series of d8 square-p... Read More about Insulated molecular wires: inhibiting orthogonal contacts in metal complex based molecular junctions.

Triphenylide-Based Molecular Solid—A New Candidate for a Quantum Spin-Liquid Compound (2017)
Journal Article
Štefančič, A., Klupp, G., Knaflič, T., Yufit, D. S., Tavčar, G., Potočnik, A., …Arčon, D. (2017). Triphenylide-Based Molecular Solid—A New Candidate for a Quantum Spin-Liquid Compound. Journal of Physical Chemistry C, 121(27), 14864-14871. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.7b02763

The reduction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with alkali metals results in solids having intriguing magnetic properties the understanding of which has been hitherto severely hampered by the lack of single-phase samples. Here, we report on the su... Read More about Triphenylide-Based Molecular Solid—A New Candidate for a Quantum Spin-Liquid Compound.