Unusual Dinuclear and Mononuclear Cyclometalated Iridium Complexes of 2,5-Diaryl-1,3,4-oxadiazole Derivatives

A family of new 2,5-diphenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazole (OXD) derivatives 8-11 bearing ortho-alkyl substituents on one of the phenyl rings is reported. The reactions of these OXDs with IrCl3 under standard cyclometalating conditions did not give the usual mu-dichloro bridged diiridium OXD complexes. Instead, the novel diiridium complexes 12-14 and the monoiridium complex 15 were isolated and characterized by X-ray crystallography. It is proposed that the unusual structures arise because of the ortho-alkyl substituents leading to a substantial twisting of part of the OXD system which, for steric reasons, changes the normal course of the metal ligand coordination reactions. Subsequent reactions of 13 and 15 gave the mononuclear complexes 16-18 with acac and picolinate anciliary ligands. The crystal structures of 16 and 18 are reported. Photoluminescence is observed in the green (16) and blue-green regions (17 and 18) at room temperature. Complexes 16-18 are phosphorescent at low temperature, with triplet lifetimes of 4.2-5.7 mu s at 77 K.