Push–pull structures with a pyrazine core and hexatriene chain: synthesis and light-emitting properties

In this paper, we describe the synthesis of various push–pull molecules with a central pyrazine unit connected to a hexatriene chain terminated by various p-substituted phenyl groups. The key steps involve metallation and subsequent transmetallation of 2-chloro and 2,6-dichloropyrazine followed by a Negishi cross-coupling reaction of the intermediate organozinc derivative with (2E,4E)-5-bromopentadienal. The aldehydes are then submitted to a Wittig reaction with the appropriate phosphonium salts readily obtained from various substituted benzyl alcohols. The light-emitting properties of the so obtained molecules are then investigated in terms of absorption and emission spectra and non-linear optics experiments have been carried out in two cases.