Theoretical studies on structures and spectroscopic properties of a series of novel cationic [trans-(C/N)2Ir(PH3)2]+ (C/N = ppy, bzq, ppz, dfppy).

The geometries, electronic structures, and spectroscopic properties of a series of novel cationic iridium(III) complexes [trans-(C/N)(2)Ir(PH(3))(2)]+ (C/N = 2-phenylpyridine, 1; benzoquinoline, 2; 1-phenylpytazolato, 3; 2-(4,6-difluorophenyl)pyridimato, 4) were investigated theoretically. The ground- and excited-state geometries were optimized at the B3LYP/LANL2DZ and CIS/LANL2DZ levels, respectively. The optimized geometry structural parameters agree well with the corresponding experimental results. The unoccupied molecular orbitals are dominantly localized on the C/N ligand, while the occupied molecular orbitals are composed of Ir atom and C/N ligand. Under the time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) level with the polarized continuum model (PCM) model, the absorption and phosphorescence in acetonitrile (MeCN) media were calculated based on the optimized ground- and excited-state geometries, respectively. The calculated results showed that the lowest-lying absorptions at 364 nm (1), 389 nm (2), 317 nm (3), and 344 nm (4) are all attributed to a {[d(yz)(Ir) + pi(C/N)] --> [pi*(C/N)]} transition with metal-to-ligand and intraligand charge transfer (MLCT/ILCT) characters; moreover, the phosphorescence at 460 (1) and 442 nm (4) originates from the 3{[d(yz)(Ir) + pi(C/N)] [pi*(C/N)]} (3)MLCT/(3)ILCT excited state, while that at 505 (2) and 399 nm (3) can be described as originating from different types of (3)MLCT/(3)ILCT excited state (3){[d(xy)(Ir) + pi(C/N)] [pi*(C/N)]}. The calculated results also revealed that the absorption and emission transition character can be altered by adjusting the pi electron-withdrawing groups and, furthermore, suggested that the phosphorescent color can be tuned by changing the pi-conjugation effect of the C/N ligand.