Phosphorescent Bismoviologens for Electrophosphorochromism and Visible Light-Induced Cross-Dehydrogenative Coupling

Abstract

A series of novel bismuth-bridged viologen analogues, bismoviologens (BiV2+), synthesized through a combination of a bismuth atom and viologen skeleton is reported. Their optical and electrochemical properties were fine-tuned through the N-arylation or N-alkylation reactions. Bismolviologens not only showed good redox properties but also exhibited phosphorescence under ambient conditions (in air at room temperature). This phenomenon makes BiV2+ the first examples of phosphorescent viologen analogues reported to date. On the basis of the excellent and unique redox and optical properties of BiV2+, their electrophosphorochromic devices were fabricated. Furthermore, BiV2+ was used for the first time as both a photocatalyst and electron mediator in visible light-induced cross-dehydrogenative coupling reactions.