Blue phosphorescent nitrile containing C not equal to cyclometalated NHC platinum(ii) complexes

Since C not equal to * cyclometalated Pt(ii) complexes with N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands have been identified as potential emitter materials in organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs), very promising results regarding quantum yields, colour and stability have been presented. Herein, we report on four nitrile substituted complexes with a chelating NHC ligand (1-(4-cyanophenyl)-3-isopropyl-1H-benzo[d]imidazole or 4-(tert-butyl)-1-(4-cyanophenyl)-3-methyl-1H-imidazole) and a bidentate monoanionic auxiliary ligand (acetylacetone or dimesitoylmethane). The complexes have been fully characterized including extensive 2D NMR studies (COSY, HSQC, HMBC, NOESY, super(195)Pt NMR), three of them also by solid-state structures. Photophysical measurements in amorphous PMMA films and pure emitter films at room temperature reveal the impact of the mesityl groups in the auxiliary ligand, which led to a significant increase of the quantum yield, while the decay lifetimes decreased. The electron withdrawing nitrile groups shift the emission towards blue colour coordinates.