Photophysical investigation of highly phosphorescent N^C^N platinum(II) azido complexes and their triazole derivatives

Substitution of chloride by azide in cyclometalated 5-R-1,3-di(2-pyridyl)-benzene platinum(II) complexes (R = mesityl, methyl or 2-thienyl) leads to novel azido complexes with an intense phosphorescence that is modulated by the nature of R. An increase of the concentration brings about to the formation of aggregates with a red-shifted emission. Furthermore, the presence of the ancillary azido group allows, via i-click reaction, the obtainment of even more emissive 1,2,3-triazole derivatives. The 1,2,3-triazolate of the mesityl and 2-thienyl N^C^N–Pt(II) complexes were characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis and their photophysical properties were deeply investigated.