Electrochemical and Fluorescent Properties of Ferrocenyl Chalcones Containing 1-Naphthalenyl Group: X-ray Crystal Structure of Fc-C(O)CH=CH-(1-Naph)

Ferrocenyl chalcones (Fc-C(O)CH=CH-Ar: Fc-Ar) with mono- and di-1-naphthalenyl moieties (Fc-1Naph and Fc-d1Naph) were prepared and spectroscopically characterized. The enone bridge was in the s-cis conformation and the $\pi$-electrons on the C=C bond were further delocalized on the bridge. The naphthalenyl moiety deviates greatly from the enone-Cp plane by $26.9(1)^{\circ}$. Cyclic voltammetry measurements for Fc-1Naph exhibit one reversible cycle for the redox of the ferrocenyl moiety at a lower potential, and one irreversible oxidation peak at the higher potential region. For Fc-d1Naph, the cyclic voltammogram is more featureless. Fluorescence properties for both compounds are active in polar solvents with $\lambda_{em}$ = 500 nm (EtOH) and $\lambda_{em}$ = 512 nm (MeOH) for Fc-1Naph and $\lambda_{em}$ = 496 nm (EtOH) and $\lambda_{em}$ = 508 nm (MeOH) for Fc-d1Naph. The intensity of Fc-d1Naph is more than twice than that of Fc-1Naph. The fluorescence properties for both compounds are inactive in the less polar solvents such as $CH_3CN$, $CH_2Cl_2$ and $CHCl_3$.