Emissive Pt(II) complexes bearing both cyclometalated ligand and 2-pyridyl hexafluoropropoxide ancillary chelate

A new series of mono-cyclometalated Pt(II) complexes 1–4 with chelating 2-pyridyl hexafluoropropoxide as the ancillary ligand were synthesized. Single crystal X-ray diffraction studies were examined, giving evidence for the occurrence of ππ stacking between the cyclometalated ligands, but a lack of intermolecular Pt⋯Pt interaction. Among these complexes, the benzo[h]quinoline analogue 2a shows the greatest degree of ππ stacking, which is also confirmed by the observation of additional, large Stokes shifted emission attributed to the aggregated counterparts in solid thin film. All these Pt(II) complexes are highly emissive in solid state, whereas except for 4-phenylquinazoline analogues 4a and 4b, complexes 1–3 in solution are subject to dominant radiationless deactivation induced, in part, by the solvent collision to the square planar Pt(II) framework. Electroluminescent OLEDs employing 2-phenylpyridine analogue 1b as the dopants were fabricated, rendering satisfactory performance data suited for future improvement.