The electronic structures and photophysical properties of platinum complexes with CΛNΛN ligands: the influence of the carborane substituent

Carboranes have attracted increasing interest in the scientific community due to their remarkable structures and strong electron-withdrawing abilities. In this article, four platinum complexes [((CNN)-N-Lambda-N-Lambda)PtC CPh](1), [((CNN)-N-Lambda-N-Lambda)PtC C-TPA](2), [((CNN)-N-Lambda-N-Lambda)PtC C-TAB](3), [((CNN)-N-Lambda-N-Lambda)PtC C-CB](4) (where TPA = triphenylamine, TAB = triarylboryl, CB = o-carborane) have been calculated via density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) methods to mainly explore the influence of carborane substituents on electronic structures, photophysical properties and radiative decay processes. The calculated results reveal that 2 with electron-donating triphenylamine has a low radiative decay rate constant and a red-shifted emission band, but 3 and 4 containing electron-withdrawing triarylboryl and o-carborane exhibit the opposite properties, especially 4 is supposed to have the highest phosphorescence quantum yield with the smallest nonradiative decay rate constant. These findings successfully illustrated the structure-property relationship and the designed complex 4 with carborane can serve as a highly efficient phosphorescent material in the future.