Improved Bipolar Properties of Ester‐Functionalized Discotic Diimine–Dithiolene Complexes

Abstract

AbstractA series of platinum diimine‐dithiolene complexes with a 5,6‐dihydro‐1,4‐dithiin‐2,3‐dithiolato (dddt2−) dithiolene ligand and a bipyridine carrying tris‐alkoxyphenyl fragments connected through an ester linker (bpyCn, n=8, 12, 16, 10(s), 20) (Scheme 1) has been developed. The mesomorphic properties of the ligands and of the platinum complexes have been investigated by a combination of DSC, POM and SAXS analyses. The platinum complexes were found to self‐organize into columnar mesophases of hexagonal symmetry over large temperature range including room temperature. Their electronic properties were also characterized by a combination of electrochemistry, absorption and emission spectroscopy measurements and TD‐DFT calculations. Besides being liquid crystalline, these compounds can undergo two oxidation processes and two reduction processes in a fully reversible manner, allowing the isolation of stable dicationic and dianionic species. Such a behavior is highly promising for the development of ambipolar semiconducting soft materials.