N-Heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) have become one of the most widely studied class of ligands in molecular chemistry and have found applications in fields as varied as catalysis, the stabilization of reactive molecular fragments, and biochemistry. More recently, NHCs have found applications in materials chemistry and have allowed for the functionalization of surfaces, polymers, nanoparticles, and discrete, well-defined clusters. In this review, we provide an in-depth look at recent advances in the use of NHCs for the development of functional materials.

N-Heterocyclic Carbenes in Materials Chemistry.

Herein, we observed near-infrared electrochemiluminescence (NIR ECL) emission from tetraphenylethylene nanocrystals (TPE NCs), which exhibit high ECL efficiency and excellent biocompatibility compared with the current NIR ECL emitters (such as semiconductor quantum dots and metal nanoclusters). The strong ECL signal of TPE NCs originates from the aggregation-induced enhanced ECL emission via improvement of the efficiency of electron hole recombination and suppression of the nonradiative transition. Impressively, the TPE NCs exhibit an enormous red-shifted ECL emission (678 nm) relative to the blue-light photoluminescence (PL) emission (440 nm). Compared to fluorescence imaging which is limited by photobleaching and autofluorescence, the NIR ECL emission of TPE NCs is highly favorable to diminish background interference over visible light and realize deeper tissue penetration, which expands the ECL emission of organic nanomaterials to the NIR region for broader biological applications.

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Near-infrared aggregation-induced enhanced electrochemiluminescence from tetraphenylethylene nanocrystals: a new generation of ECL emitters

Patterned monolayers of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs) on gold surfaces were obtained by microcontact printing of NHC-CO2 adducts and NHC(H)[HCO3 ] salts. The NHC-modified areas showed an increased conductivity compared to unmodified gold surface areas. Furthermore, the remaining surface areas could be modified with a second, azide-functionalized carbene, facilitating further applications and post-printing modifications. Thorough elucidation by a variety of analytical methods offers comprehensive evidence for the viability of the methodology reported here. The protocol enables facile access to versatile, microstructured NHC-modified gold surfaces with highly stable patterns, enhanced conductivity, and the option for further modification.

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Versatile Micropatterns of N‐Heterocyclic Carbenes on Gold Surfaces: Increased Thermal and Pattern Stability with Enhanced Conductivity

A novel photoresponsive and fully conjugated N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) has been synthesized that combines the excellent photophysical properties of arylazopyrazoles (AAPs) with an NHC that acts as a robust surface anchor (AAP-BIMe). The formation of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on gold was proven by ToF-SIMS and XPS, and the organic film displayed a very high stability at elevated temperatures. This stability was also reflected in a high desorption energy, which was determined by temperature-programmed SIMS measurements. E-/Z-AAP-BIMe@Au photoisomerization resulted in reversible alterations of the surface energy (i.e. wettability), the surface potential (i.e. work function), and the conductance (i.e. resistance). The effects could be explained by the difference in the dipole moment of the isomers. Furthermore, sequential application of a dummy ligand by microcontact printing and subsequent backfilling with AAP-BIMe allowed its patterning on gold. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example of a photoswitchable NHC on a gold surface. These properties of AAP-BIMe@Au illustrate its suitability as a molecular switch for electronic devices.

An Arylazopyrazole-Based N-Heterocyclic Carbene as a Photoswitch on Gold Surfaces: Light-Switchable Wettability, Work Function, and Conductance.

Rh K-edge X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) spectroscopy was used to examine the Rh-catalyzed arene hydrogenation of diphenyl ether by a combination of stoichiometric reactions of [(CAACCy,Dipp)Rh(COD)Cl] (Rh–Cl) (CAACCy,Dipp = cyclic alkyl amino carbene) and operando XAFS kinetics studies. Our results unequivocally show that Rh nanoparticles, generated from the single-site Rh complex Rh–Cl, catalyze the arene hydrogenation. Operando XAFS studies illuminate the role of silver cation on the precatalyst reactivity, the effect of increasing H2 pressure on increasing the catalytic efficiency, the stabilizing influence of Ph2O on the relative rate of formation of active Rh nanoparticles, and the absence of soluble single-site Rh species that might leach from bulk heterogeneous Rh nanoparticles. We gained insights into the divergent deactivation pathways mediated by substoichiometric benzothiophene and excess KOtBu toward H2 activation, which is a key step en route to Rh nanoparticles for arene hydrogenati...

Operando XAFS Studies on Rh(CAAC)-Catalyzed Arene Hydrogenation

N-Heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs), which react with the surface of Au electrodes, have been successfully applied in pentacene transistors. With the application of NHCs, the charge-carrier mobility of pentacene transistors increased by five times, while the contact resistance at the pentacene-Au interface was reduced by 85 %. Even after annealing the NHC-Au electrodes at 200 °C for 2 h before pentacene deposition, the charge-carrier mobility of the pentacene transistors did not decrease. The distinguished performance makes NHCs as excellent alternatives to thiols as metal modifiers for the application in organic field-effect transistors (OFETs).

Aifeng Lv

Papers

N-Heterocyclic-Carbene-Treated Gold Surfaces in Pentacene Organic Field-Effect Transistors: Improved Stability and Contact at the Interface.

Mit N‐heterocyclischen Carbenen behandelte Goldoberflächen in Pentacen‐Transistoren: Verbesserte Stabilität und Kontakt an der Grenzfläche