Tetraaminoperylenes: Their Efficient Synthesis and Physical Properties

Trimethylsilylation of 1,8‐diaminonaphthalene gave 1,8‐bis(trimethylsilylamino)naphthalene ( 1 a ), which was in turn lithiated with two molar equivalents of n‐ butyllithium to give the tris(thf)‐solvated dilithium diamide [1,8‐{(Me 3 SiN)Li(thf)} 2 C 10 H 6 ](thf) ( 2 a ). Metal exchange of 2 a with TlCl was carried out in two steps, via the previously characterized mixed‐metal amide [1‐{(Me 3 SiN)Li(thf) 2 }‐8‐{(Me 3 SiN)Tl}C 10 H 6 ], to give the dithallium diamide [1,8‐{(Me 3 SiN)Tl} 2 C 10 H 6 ] ( 3 a ). Thermolysis of 3 a cleanly gave a 1:1 mixture of the 4,9‐bis(trimethylsilylamino)perylenequinone‐3,10‐bis(trimethylsilylimine) ( 4 a ) and 1 a . By this route, a whole series of silylated homologues of 4 a was obtained in good yields, while the same method proved to be inefficient for the synthesis of the alkyl‐substituted analogues. Compound 4 a and its tert ‐butyldimethylsilyl derivative 4 d were reduced with sodium amalgam to give, after protonation, the corresponding 3,4,9,10‐tetraaminoperylenes 7 a and 7 d . Cyclic voltammetry showed two reversible, closely spaced reduction waves ( E red 1 =−1.39, E red 2 =−1.59 V versus SCE) corresponding to this conversion. The perylenes 7 a and 7 d are thought to be the primary products in the reaction cascade leading to the perylene derivatives, involving the thermal demetalation of the thallium amides, possibly via Tl II Tl II intermediates, first to give 7 a and its analogues. The final oxidation of the tetraaminoperylenes by one molar equivalent of 3 a and analogous thallium amides gave the quinoidal derivatives such as 4 a and 4 d , a step that could be studied by direct reaction of the isolated species. The UV/Vis absorption spectra of the 4,9‐bis(silylamino)perylenequinone‐3,10‐bis(silylimines) are characterized by a long‐wavelength absorption band with a pronounced vibrational structure ( λ max =639 nm, lg ε =4.53) attributed to a π*←π and a π*←n absorption band at 454 nm (lg ε 4.83), along with intense absorption in the UV region. A weak red emission with a rather low quantum yield ( Φ fl =0.001, λ max =660 nm) is observed upon irradiation of a sample; the lifetime of the emission is only 66 ps. The low emission quantum yield is attributed to the *π←n transition of the amino perylene, which induces strong spin–orbit coupling, leading to a large triplet yield. The triplet state was probed by transient absorption spectroscopy and found to have a lifetime of 200 ns in air, and 1100 ns in argon‐flushed solution. Treatment of 4 a with a stoichiometric amount of KF in methanol/water under phase‐transfer conditions (with the cryptand [C 222]) gave an almost quantitative yield of the parent compound 4,9‐diaminoperylenequinone‐3,10‐diimine ( 8 ). Treatment of 8 with two molar equivalents of the ruthenium complex [Ru(bpy) 2 (acetone) 2 ](PF 6 ) 2 , generated in situ, yielded the blue dinuclear ruthenium complex [(bpy) 4 Ru 2 { μ 2 ‐ N , N ′: N ″, N ′′′‐[{4,9‐(NH 2 ) 2 ‐3,10‐(NH) 2 }C 20 H 8 ]}](PF 6 ) 4 ( 9 ), the redox properties of which were studied by cyclic voltammetry. The difference in the potentials of the two one‐electron redox steps (225 mV) indicates strong coupling of the metal centers through the 4,9‐diaminoperylenquinone‐3,10‐dimine bridging ligand and corresponds to a comproportionation constant K c of 6.3×10 3 . The UV/Vis absorption spectrum of the mixed valent form, which is stable in air, has a characteristic intervalence charge‐transfer (IVCT) band in the near infrared at 930 nm (lg ε =3.95), from which an electronic coupling parameter J of 760 cm −1 could be estimated, placing compound 9 at the borderline between the class II and class III cases in the Robin–Day classification.