Seeing luminescence appear as crystals crumble. Isolation and subsequent self-association of individual [(C6H11NC)2Au]+ ions in crystals

Molecular Flexibility in Solvated Crystals of the Dimer, Au2(μ-1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane)2I2, with Three-Coordinate Gold(I)

We report the ability to trap the dimer Au2(μ-dppe)2I2 (dppe is 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane) with different separations between the three-coordinate gold ions in crystalline solvates. All of these solvates ((Au2(μ-dppe)2I2·4(CH2Cl2) (1), Au2(μ-dppe)2I2·2(CH2Cl2) (2), the polymorphs α-Au2(μ-dppe)2I2·2(HC(O)NMe2) (3) and β-Au2(μ-dppe)2I2·2(HC(O)NMe2) (4), and Au2(μ-dppe)2I2·4(CHCl3) (5)) along with polymeric {Au(μ-dppe)I}n·n(CHCl3) (6)) originated from the same reaction, only the solvent system used for crystallization differed. In the different solvates of Au2(μ-dppe)2I2, the Au···Au separation varied from 3.192(1) to 3.7866(3) Å. Computational studies undertaken to understand the flexible nature of these dimers indicated that the structural differences were primarily a result of crystal packing effects with aurophillic interactions having a minimal effect.

Vapochromic behaviour of a gold(I)-lead(II) complex as a VOC sensor

The reaction among [Au2Ag2(C6F5)4(OEt2)2]n, PbCl2 and terpyridine leads to the polymeric complex [{Au(C6F5)2}2{Pb(terpy)}]n (1). Its crystal structure reveals potential voids close to the lead centres large enough to hold different molecules. The availability of these free sites allows complex 1 to act as a VOC sensor. Thus, when 1 is exposed to different solvent vapours such as acetonitrile, toluene or THF, variations in its solid appearance and its photophysical properties are observed as a consequence of the formation of the new polymorphs [{Au(C6F5)2}2{Pb(terpy)(CH3CN)2}]n (2), [{Au(C6F5)2}2{Pb(terpy)}]n·Tol (3) and [{Au(C6F5)2}2{Pb(terpy)(THF)}]n·THF (4). Each polymorph displays a different emission energy depending on its structure and the presence of metallophilic interactions. In addition, the reversible solvent molecule exchange allows the tuning of the luminescence emissions in the greenish yellow-red range. DFT and TD-DFT calculations were performed to explain the origin of the luminescence of all these complexes.

Structure and Luminescence Studies of Salts of the Helical Dication, [Au2(μ-bis(diphenylphosphine)ethane)2]2+ and Comparison with Salts of [Au2(μ-bis(diphenylphosphine)propane)2]2

Six salts ([Au2(μ-dppe)2](BF4)2·CHCl3, [Au2(μ-dppe)2](BF4)2·1,2-Cl2C2H4, [Au2(μ-dppe)2](PF6)2·CHCl3, [Au2(μ-dppe)2](PF6)2, [Au2(μ-dppe)2](SbF6)2, and [Au2(μ-dppe)2](OTf)2·2CHCl3), (dppe is bis(diphenylphosphine)ethane) containing the dication, [Au2(μ-dppe)2]2+, have been prepared and structurally characterized by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. Unlike the three-coordinate dppe-bridged dimers, Au2X2(μ-dppe)2 (X = Br, I), which show considerable variation in the distance between the gold(I) ions over the range 3.0995(10) to 3.8479(3) Å in various solvates, the structure of the helical dication, [Au2(μ-dppe)2], in the new salts is remarkably consistent with the Au···Au separation falling in the narrow range 2.8787(9) to 2.9593(5) Å. In the solid state, the six crystals display a green luminescence both at room temperature and at 77 K, which has been assigned as phosphorescence. However, solutions of the dication are not luminescent. Salts containing the analogous dication [Au2(μ-dppp)2](PF6)2 (dppp is bis(diphenylphosphine)propane) have been prepared to determine whether the longer bridging ligand might also twist into a helical shape. These salts include [Au2(μ-dppp)2](OTf)2 (OTf is triflate) and three crystalline forms of [Au2(μ-dppp)2](PF6)2: the solvate [Au2(μ-dppp)2](PF6)2·(CHCl3) and two polymorphs of the unsolvated salt. None of these crystals are luminescent, but all contain a similar dication, [Au2(μ-dppp)2]2+, that contains two nearly parallel, linear P-Au-P groups and a long separation between the gold ions that varies from 5.3409(4) to 5.6613(6)Å.

Self-Assembled Encapsulation of CuX2- (X = Br, Cl) in a Gold Phosphine Box-like Cavity with Metallophilic Au-Cu Interactions

Synthetic routes to the crystallization of two new box-like complexes, [Au6(Triphos)4(CuBr2)](OTf)5·(CH2Cl2)3·(CH3OH)3·(H2O)4 (1) and [Au6(Triphos)4 (CuCl2)](PF6)5·(CH2Cl2)4 (2) (triphos = bis(2-diphenylphosphinoethyl)phenylphosphine), have been developed. The two centrosymmetric cationic complexes have been structurally characterized through single-crystal X-ray diffraction and shown to contain a CuX2- (X = Br or Cl) unit suspended between two Au(I) centers without the involvement of bridging ligands. These colorless crystals display green luminescence (λem = 527 nm) for (1) and teal luminescence (λem = 464 nm) for (2). Computational results document the metallophilic interactions that are involved in positioning the Cu(I) center between the two Au(I) ions and in the luminescence.

Nanocluster Transformation Induced by SbF6- Anions toward Boosting Photochemical Activities

The interactions between SbF₆^- and metal nanoclusters are of significance for customizing clusters from both structure and property aspects; however, the whole-segment monitoring of this customization remains challenging. In this work, by controlling the amount of introduced SbF₆^- anions, the step-by-step nanocluster evolutions from [Pt₁Ag₂₈(S-Adm)₁₈(PPh₃)₄]Cl₂ (Pt₁Ag₂₈-Cl) to [Pt₁Ag₂₈(S-Adm)₁₈(PPh₃)₄](SbF₆)₂ (Pt₁Ag₂₈-SbF₆) and then to [Pt₁Ag₃₀Cl₁(S-Adm)₁₈(PPh₃)₃](SbF₆)₃ (Pt₁Ag₃₀-SbF₆) have been mapped out with X-ray crystallography, with which atomic-level SbF₆^- counterion effects in reconstructing and rearranging nanoclusters are determined. The structure-dependent optical properties, including optical absorption, photoluminescence, and electrochemiluminescence (ECL), of these nanoclusters are then explored. Notably, the Pt₁Ag₃₀-SbF₆ nanocluster was ultrabright with a high phosphorescence quantum yield of 85% in N₂-purged solutions, while Pt₁Ag₂₈ nanoclusters were fluorescent with weaker emission intensities. Furthermore, Pt₁Ag₃₀-SbF₆ displayed superior ECL efficiency over Pt₁Ag₂₈-SbF₆, which was rationalized by its increased effectively exposed reactive facets. Both Pt₁Ag₃₀-SbF₆ and Pt₁Ag₂₈-SbF₆ demonstrated unprecedented high absolute ECL quantum efficiencies at sub-micromolar concentrations. This work is of great significance for revealing the SbF₆^- counterion effects on the control of both structures and luminescent properties.

Rapid Luminescent Enhancement Triggered by One-shot Needlestick-stimulus Using a Liquescent Gold(I) Salt

Luminescence from a gold(I) complex with an N-heterocycliccarbene-based ligand, 1⁺ ⋅NTf₂ ^- , increased rapidly upon the application of one-shot needlestick-stimulus. The weakly orange-emitting solid-state of 1⁺ ⋅NTf₂ ^- was prepared by cooling its melted liquid to 90 °C. Upon applying a weak pinpoint stimulus with a needle, this weakly orange-emitting solid state transformed into an intensively violet-blue-emitting state on a timescale of seconds. The emission after applying the stimulus could be visualized upon UV excitation even under ambient room light. This sequential phase transition from a stable solid to a liquid and then to a metastable solid could occur repeatedly without any measurable degradation of the complex. Various shapes could be prepared by casting the liquid-state complex into molds of different designs. This rapid response is thought to be triggered by the flexible intermolecular interactions in the kinetically generated aggregates formed upon cooling the liquid state, and by the strong Au-Au interactions in the thermodynamically stable crystals after applying the needlestick-stimulus.

A non-luminescent polymorph of [(cyclohexyl isocyanide)2Au]PF6 that becomes luminescent upon grinding or exposure to dichloromethane vapor

The discovery of a third, non-luminescent crystalline polymorph of [(C6H11NC)2Au]PF6 is reported. Remarkably, crystals of this polymorph are sensitive to mechanical pressure or to exposure to dichloromethane vapor. In both cases, the conversion produces the yellow, green luminescent polymorph of [(C6H11NC)2Au]PF6 and not the colorless, blue luminescent polymorph.