Mechanochemical synthesis of mononuclear gold(I) halide complexes of diphosphine ligands with tuneable luminescent properties.

A mechanochemical method is reported for the synthesis of Au(diphos)X complexes of diphosphine (diphos = XantPhos and N-XantPhos) ligands and halide ions (X = Cl and I). The Au(XantPhos)X (1: X = Cl; 2: X = I) and Au(N-XantPhos)Cl (3) complexes exhibited either yellowish green (1) or bluish green (2) emission, whereas 3 was seemingly non-emissive in the solid state at room temperature. Blue- (2B) and bluish green (2G) luminescent concomitant solvates of 2 were obtained by recrystallization. Luminescent colour changes from blue (2B) or bluish green (2G) to yellow were observed when these forms were subjected to mechanical stimulus, while the original emission colour can be recovered in the presence of solvent vapours. Moreover, the luminescence of 2B can be reversibly altered between blue and yellow by heating/cooling-cycles. These results demonstrate the power of mechanochemistry in the rapid (4 min reaction time), efficient (up to 98% yield) and greener synthesis of luminescent and stimuli-responsive gold(I) complexes.

Unexpected formation of a fused double cycle trinuclear gold(i) complex supported by ortho-phenyl metallated aryl-diphosphine ligands and strong aurophilic interactions.

The first homoleptic trinuclear arylgold(i) complex, [Au3(L')2](NO3) (3), based on an ortho-phenyl metallated aryl-diphosphine ligand (L' = o-C6H4PPh(C15H10O)PPh2), has been obtained through a new thermolytic reaction of the corresponding diauracycle, [Au2(L)2](NO3)2 (L = xantphos). The formation of 3 involves activation of the ortho-phenyl C-H bond of the xantphos ligands. The presence of Au-C bonds in this new gold-diphosphine cluster is not its only remarkable feature, since it also displays two 12-membered rings fused together and a linear {Au3} chain with aurophilic interactions. Complex 3 exhibits strong sky-blue luminescence that can be assigned to a triplet metal-metal ((3)MM) transition partially mixed with a ligand-to-metal-metal charge transfer ((3)LMMCT) transition related to the aurophilic bonding. This [Au3(L')2](+) triauracycle also shows AIEE-activity, and is a selective luminescent chemosensor for metal ions.

Mechano-induced reversible colour and luminescence switching of a gold(i)-diphosphine complex.

A gold(i)-diphosphine simultaneously exhibits reversible mechanochromism and mechanochromic luminescence. The mechanical grinding can trigger a transformation from a neutral mononuclear structure exhibiting white colour and blue photoluminescence to an ionic dinuclear structure with intramolecular aurophilic interactions exhibiting yellow colour and red emission.

Anion-, Solvent-, Temperature-, and Mechano-Responsive Photoluminescence in Gold(I) Diphosphine-Based Dimers.

A series of [Au2 (nixantphos)2](X)2 (nixantphos=4,6-bis(diphenylphosphino)-phenoxazine; X=NO3, 1; CF3 COO, 2; CF3 SO3, 3; [Au(CN)2], 4; and BF4, 5) complexes that exhibit intriguing anion-switchable and stimuli-responsive luminescent photophysical properties have been synthesized and characterized. Depending on their anions, these complexes display yellow (3), orange (4 and 5), and red (1 and 2) emission colors. They exhibit reversible thermo-, mechano-, and vapochromic luminescence changes readily perceivable by the naked eye. Single-crystal X-ray studies show that the [Au2 (nixantphos)2](2+) cations with short intramolecular Au⋅⋅⋅Au interactions are involved as donors in an infinite N-H⋅⋅⋅X (X=O and N) hydrogen-bonded chain formation with CF3 COO(-) (2 C) and aurophilically linked [Au(CN)2](-) counterions (4 C). Both crystals show thermochromic luminescence; their room temperature red (2 C) and orange (4 C) emission turns into yellow upon cooling to 77 K. They also exhibit reversible mechanochromic luminescence by changing their emission color from red to dark (2 C), and orange to red (4 C). Compounds 1-5 also display reversible mechanochromic luminescence, altering their emission colors between orange (1) or red (2) to dark, as well as between yellow (3) or orange (4 and 5) to red. Detailed photophysical investigations and correlation with solid-state structural data established the significant role of NH⋅⋅⋅X interactions in the stimuli-responsive luminescent behavior.

Mechanochemical synthesis of crystalline and amorphous digold(I) helicates exhibiting anion- and phase-switchable luminescence properties.

For the first time, mechanochemical synthesis has been used for the preparation of crystalline and amorphous dinuclear gold(i) helicates, [Au2L2](X)2 (L = xantphos; X = CF3SO3, SCN, BF4 and PF6), that show anion- and phase-switchable luminescence properties. This solid-state approach provides strategies for developing switchable luminescent materials.

A versatile solvent-free mechanochemical route to the synthesis of heterometallic dicyanoaurate-based coordination polymers.

The solid-state mechanochemical method was proved to be a fast, simple, and efficient route to the synthesis of heterometallic [Au(CN)(2)]-based coordination polymers. Thus, a series of mixed-metal complexes, such as KCo[Au(CN)(2)](3), KNi[Au(CN)(2)](3), Cu(H(2)O)(2)[Au(CN)(2)](2), and Zn[Au(CN)(2)](2), was obtained by grinding stoichiometric amounts of K[Au(CN)(2)] and transition metal(II) chlorides. This solid-state method rapidly yields pure dicyanoaurate-based compounds, also in cases when the aqueous solution synthesis leads to an unseparable mixture of products. In addition, in some cases, the solid state reaction was faster than the corresponding solvent-based reaction. This mechanochemical method can be applied also to main group metals to obtain various cyanoaurate-based heterometallic coordination polymers, such as Me(2)Sn[Au(CN)(2)](2) and Ph(3)Sn[Au(CN)(2)]. For the 2:1 mixture of K[Au(CN)(2)] and Me(2)SnCl(2), the dramatic enhancement of the reaction rate by the presence of a minor amount of water was noticed. In Ph(3)Sn[Au(CN)(2)], as was revealed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, each Ph(3)Sn unit is linked to two others by two Au(CN)(2) bridges via Sn-N bonds to form an infinite cyanide-bridged chain. There are no Au···Au contacts between the chains due to the sterical hindrance of the phenyl groups. A dehydrated blue Co[Au(CN)(2)](2) complex was obtained during grinding or heating of the moderate-pink Co(H(2)O)(2)[Au(CN)(2)](2) complex. This complex displays a vapochromic response when exposed to a variety of organic solvents, as well as water and ammonia vapors.