Red-green-blue emission from tris(5-aryl-8-quinolinolate)Al(III) complexes

A simple yet effective strategy for synthesis of 5-aryl-8-quinolinolate-based electroluminophores with tunable emission wavelengths is presented. Two different pathways for the attachment of electron-donating or electron-withdrawing aryl groups to the 5-position of the quinolinolate ligand via Suzuki coupling were developed. A successful tuning in the emission color was achieved: the emission wavelength was found to correlate with the Hammett constant of the respective substituents, providing a powerful strategy for prediction of the optical properties of new electroluminophores.