Aggregation of phosphorescent Pd(ii) and Pt(ii) complexes with lipophilic counter-anions in non-polar solvents

Phosphorescent cationic tridentate C<^>N<^>N (HC<^>N<^>N = 6-(2-R-2,4-R-1-phenyl)-2,2 '-bipyridine; R-1 = R-2 = H or F, or R-1 = OMe, R-2 = H) cyclometallated Pd(ii) complexes with an N,N-dimethyl-imidazol-allenylidene ancillary ligand (L) and their corresponding Pt(ii) congeners have been synthesized and characterized, following the previously reported preparation of the complex [Pd(6-phenyl-2,2 '-bipyridine)L](+). For these cationic Pd(ii)/Pt(ii) complexes with 2,3,4-tris(dodecyloxy)benzenesulfonate (LA(-)) counter-anions in mixed CH2Cl2/toluene solvents, uniform square flake or fibre-like aggregates were formed. Corresponding multicolour phosphorescence with obvious metal-metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MMLCT) features gradually changed from red to NIR by manipulating the various fractions of Pd/Pt species. Circular dichroism (CD) and circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) derived from the fibre-like Pd aggregates of [Pd(6-(2,4-difluorophenyl)-2,2 '-bipyridine)L](+) in chiroptical CH2Cl2/limonene solvents were achieved with an isodesmic aggregation mode. Dispersive metallophilic interactions are claimed to be the driving force for these photo-functional aggregates.