Synthesis of π-conjugated, pyridine ring functionalized bis-terpyridines with efficient green, blue, and purple emission

A large variety of rigid, π-conjugated, pyridine ring functionalized bis-terpyridines are synthesized efficiently using tandem Miyaura/Suzuki-type cross-coupling reaction. Photophysical property study reveals that the absorption and luminescent properties of the obtained bis-terpyridines are profoundly affected by the nature of the functional groups at the peripheral pyridine and the spacers. Namely, by tailoring precisely the structures, the light-emitting efficiencies of bis-terpyridines can be enhanced significantly with quantum yields (Φf) of up to 0.62, and the emission colors can be tuned to display distinct colors including purple, bright blue, and bright green. Consequently, the novel bis-terpyridines are attractive ligands for the assembly of new metallo-supramolecule based functional materials.