Interplay of Steric Effects and Aromaticity Reversals to Expand the Structural/Electronic Responses of Dihydrophenazines

To gain insights into the coupling of conformational and electronic variables, we exploited steric hindrance to modulate a polycyclic skeleton with a bent conformation in the S0 state and a twisted conformation in the S1 state under the guidance of photoexcited aromaticity reversals. Polycyclic 5,10-dihydrophenazine (DHP) adopted a bent structure in S0 but involved a bent-to-planar transformation in S1 due to the excited-state aromaticity of the 8π-electron central ring. The N,N′-locations and 1,4,6,9-sites of the DHP skeleton provided a versatile chemical handle for fine-tuning intramolecular steric hindrance. Specifically, N,N′-diphenyl-5,10-dihydrophenazine (DPP-00) and its derivatives DPP-10–DPP-22 were synthesized with different numbers of methyl groups on the 1,4,6,9-sites. X-ray crystal analyses suggested that the DHP skeletons of DPP-00–DPP-22 had more bending configurations along the N···N axis with an increase in the number of methyl groups. Following the bending-promoted interruption of π-conjugation, the absorption spectra of DPP-00–DPP-22 significantly blue-shifted from 416 to 324 nm. By contrast, the emission bands exhibited a reverse shift to longer wavelengths from 459 to 584 nm as the number of methyl substituents increased. Theoretical calculations revealed that introducing methyl groups caused the planar DHP skeleton in S1 to further twist along the N···N axis, resulting in a twisted high-strain conformation. The greater Stokes shift of the more steric-hindered structure can be attributed to the release of larger strain and aromatic stabilization energy. This research highlighted the potential promise associated with the interplay of steric effects and aromaticity reversals in a single fluorophore.