Triazole-pyridine ligands: a novel approach to chromophoric iridium arrays

We describe a novel modular approach to a series of luminescent iridium complexes bearing triazole-pyridine-derived ligands that were conveniently prepared by using "click" chemistry. One, two or three triazole-pyridine units were effectively built into the heteroaromatic macromolecule using versatile acetylene-and azide-functionalised precursors. Using this approach, a series of iridium-derived molecules, that differ in the number of iridium centres, the structural characteristics of the cyclometalating ligand and the backbone, were synthesised. The preliminary photophysical properties of the prepared complexes indicate that there is only limited interaction (through space or through the backbone) between the iridium centres within one molecule and that each iridium centre retains its individual properties. The results show that our approach can be generally applied towards covalently linked multichromophoric systems with potential application, for instance, in the design and preparation of tunable light emitters. As a demonstration of this concept, a single molecule white-light emitter, constructed from two iridium centres (yellow emission) and a fluorene unit (blue emission), is presented.