A novel route towards water-soluble luminescent iridium(iii) complexes via a hydroxy-bridged dinuclear precursor

The synthesis and photophysical characterization of a new family of luminescent water-soluble ionic iridium(iii) complexes of the general formula [(ppy)₂Ir(bpy)]X are reported. The Ir(iii) complexes incorporate a cyclometalated 2-phenylpyridine (ppy), the ancillary ligand 2,2'-bipyridyl (bpy) and different counterions (X^- = EtO^-, OH^-, EtOCH₂CO₂^-, MeOCH₂CO₂^-). These complexes were obtained starting from the cyclometalated Ir(iii) chloro-bridged dimer [(ppy)₂Ir(μ-Cl)]₂, for the first time synthesized through a new microwave assisted synthetic procedure, and subsequently converted into the corresponding hydroxy-bridged dimer [(ppy)₂Ir(μ-OH)]₂. The latter was eventually used as a sole reagent for the synthesis of all the reported complexes by simply varying the nature of the reaction solvent from water to alcohols and glycol ethers. This study demonstrates the versatility of the [(ppy)₂Ir(μ-OH)]₂ complex as a precursor to water soluble ionic Ir(iii) complexes. Indeed, [(ppy)₂Ir(μ-OH)]₂ has shown its peculiar chemical reactivity due to both a strong base character and an unexpected oxidative ability towards the alcoholic function of glycol ethers. All the synthesized complexes exhibit, in water solution, an orange emission centred at 606 nm. Moreover, all complexes display the ability to give rise to gel phases in water upon increasing their concentration, and the photophysical study evidenced the various interactions governing the gelification process. The water-solubility of these new luminescent Ir(iii) complexes makes them potentially useful in bio-related systems.