Synthesis, characterization and photophysical properties of a new class of pyrene substituted 1,3,4-oxadiazole derivatives

Abstract We have designed and synthesized a series of a new class of pyrene substituted 1,3,4- oxadiazole derivatives (abbreviated as 3(a-e)) through palladium catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura cross coupling reaction. The chemical structures of the probes were characterized by using analytical techniques namely 1H NMR, 13C NMR, FT-IR and GC-MS. The novel bipolar molecules consist of pyrene as an electron donor unit (D) and electron-deficient 1,3,4-oxadiazole as an acceptor unit (A) linked via extending π conjugation through a phenyl spacer with para linkages (D-π-A). Intramolecular charge transfer is improved by structure-property relationship. The detailed photophysical/solvatochromic properties of newly synthesized derivatives have been studied employing steady state spectroscopic techniques. The photophysical studies revealed that compounds emit strong indigo-blue fluorescence and efficient blue emission extending into blue-green in solid phase with high quantum yields. Thermal and morphological stabilities of the derivatives were studied employing DSC and TGA measurements. In addition, density functional theory (DFT) computations have been carried out to demonstrate various intramolecular interactions that cause the stabilization of the compound leading to its optoelectronic applications. The highest occupied molecular orbital energy (HOMOs), lowest unoccupied molecular orbital energy (LUMOs), the energy bandgap, chemical hardness (η), softness (δ), electronegativity (χ) and chemical potential (μ) were computed with the help of frontier molecular orbitals. The results were compared and discussed with the experimental results. The results demonstrate that the novel pyrene containing oxadiazole derivatives could be used as small organic molecules for multifunctional organic light-emitting devices (OLED)/optoelectronic devices.