Phosphorescence of iridium(III) complexes with 2-(2-pyridyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazoles

Cationic bis-cyclometalated iridium(III) complexes [(C^N)2Ir(N^N)](PF6) with 2-(2′-pyridyl)-5-R-1,3,4-oxadiazoles (N^N; R = 1-adamantyl, mesityl, N-diphenylamino) have a redox gap of 2.58–2.68 V and exhibit orange–red phosphorescence in argon-saturated dichloromethane solution with a maximum, quantum yield, and excited-state lifetime of 613–644 nm, 2–6%, and 90–280 ns.