Luminescent Alkylaluminium Anthranilates Reaching Unity Quantum Yield in the Condensed Phase

Area of Science:

• Organometallic Chemistry
• Photochemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Organometallic photochemistry is dominated by transition, post-transition, and rare earth metal complexes.
• Alkylaluminium anthranilates, despite aluminium's abundance and known aminobenzoate complexes, have been overlooked as luminophores.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the potential of alkylaluminium anthranilates as novel luminophores.
• To synthesize and characterize a series of tetrameric chiral-at-metal aluminium anthranilates using anthranilic acid and its derivatives.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of tetrameric alkylaluminium anthranilates, [(R'-anth)AlR]4, using commercially available ligands.
• Characterization via spectroscopic methods and single-crystal X-ray diffraction.
• Photoluminescence quantum yield measurements in the condensed phase.

Main Results:

• Isolation and characterization of unique tetrameric chiral-at-metal alkylaluminium anthranilates.
• Demonstration of tunable luminescence performance by modifying N-substituents on the anthranilate ligand.
• A [(Ph-anth)AlEt]4 derivative achieved a unity photoluminescence quantum yield, an unprecedented result for aluminium complexes.

Conclusions:

• Alkylaluminium anthranilates represent a promising new class of luminophores.
• The photoluminescence performance can be effectively tuned through ligand modification.
• The achieved unity quantum yield opens new avenues for aluminium-based optoelectronic materials.