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

   https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.inorgchem.3c01961  

   Costa, Sarah; Walters, Daniel T; McNamara, Lauren E; Olmstead, Marilyn M; Fettinger, James C; Balch, Alan L (October 2023, Inorganic Chemistry)

   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. 

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2. Seeing luminescence appear as crystals crumble. Isolation and subsequent self-association of individual [(C ₆ H ₁₁ NC) ₂ Au] ⁺ ions in crystals

   https://doi.org/10.1039/d0sc03299a  

   Luong, Lucy M.; Lowe, Christopher D.; Adams, Alexandria V.; Moshayedi, Venoos; Olmstead, Marilyn M.; Balch, Alan L. (November 2020, Chemical Science)

   null (Ed.)

   Non-luminescent, isostructural crystals of [(C 6 H 11 NC) 2 Au](EF 6 )·C 6 H 6 (E = As, Sb) lose benzene upon standing in air to produce green luminescent (E = As) or blue luminescent (E = Sb) powders. Previous studies have shown that the two-coordinate cation, [(C 6 H 11 NC) 2 Au] + , self-associates to form luminescent crystals that contain linear or nearly linear chains of cations and display unusual polymorphic, vapochromic, and/or thermochromic properties. Here, we report the formation of non-luminescent crystalline salts in which individual [(C 6 H 11 NC) 2 Au] + ions are isolated from one another. In [(C 6 H 11 NC) 2 Au](BArF 24 ) ((BArF 24 ) − is tetrakis[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]borate) each cation is surrounded by two anions that prohibit any close approach of the gold ions. Crystallization of [(C 6 H 11 NC) 2 Au](EF 6 ) (E = As or Sb, but not P) from benzene solution produces colorless, non-emissive crystals of the solvates [(C 6 H 11 NC) 2 Au](EF 6 )·C 6 H 6 . These two solvates are isostructural and contain columns in which cations and benzene molecules alternate. With the benzene molecules separating the cations, the shortest distances between gold ions are 6.936(2) Å for E = As and 6.9717(19) Å for E = Sb. Upon removal from the mother liquor, these crystals crack due to the loss of benzene from the crystal and form luminescent powders. Crystals of [(C 6 H 11 NC) 2 Au](SbF 6 )·C 6 H 6 that powder out form a pale yellow powder with a blue luminescence with emission spectra and powder X-ray diffraction data that show that the previously characterized [(C 6 H 11 NC) 2 Au](SbF 6 ) is formed. In the process, the distances between the gold( i ) ions decrease to ∼3 Å and half of the cyclohexyl groups move from an axial orientation to an equatorial one. Remarkably, when crystals of [(C 6 H 11 NC) 2 Au](AsF 6 )·C 6 H 6 stand in air, they lose benzene and are converted into the yellow, green-luminescent polymorph of [(C 6 H 11 NC) 2 Au](AsF 6 ) rather than the colorless, blue-luminescent polymorph. Paradoxically, the yellow, green-luminescent powder that forms as well as authentic crystals of the yellow, green-luminescent polymorph of [(C 6 H 11 NC) 2 Au](AsF 6 ) are sensitive to benzene vapor and are converted by exposure to benzene vapor into the colorless, blue-luminescent polymorph. 

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3. Synthesis, structures and luminescence properties of amine-bis(N-heterocyclic carbene) copper( i ) and silver( i ) complexes

   https://doi.org/10.1039/C8DT00599K  

   Lu, Taotao; Wang, Jin-Yun; Shi, Lin-Xi; Chen, Zhong-Ning; Chen, Xue-Tai; Xue, Zi-Ling (January 2018, Dalton Transactions)

   A series of Ag( i ) and Cu( i ) complexes [Ag 3 (L 1 ) 2 ][PF 6 ] 3 ( 8 ), [Ag 3 (L 2 ) 2 ][PF 6 ] 3 ( 9 ), [Cu(L 1 )][PF 6 ] ( 10 ) and [Cu(L 2 )][PF 6 ] ( 11 ) have been synthesized by reactions of the tridentate amine-bis(N-heterocyclic carbene) ligand precursors [H 2 L 1 ][PF 6 ] 2 ( 6 ) and [H 2 L 2 ][PF 6 ] 2 ( 7 ) with Ag 2 O and Cu 2 O, respectively. Complexes 10 and 11 can also be obtained by transmetalation of 8 and 9 , respectively, with 3.0 equiv. of CuCl. A heterometallic Cu/Ag–NHC complex [Cu 2 Ag(L 1 ) 2 (CH 3 CN) 2 ][PF 6 ] 3 ( 12 ) is formed by the reaction of 8 with 2.0 equiv. of CuCl. All complexes have been characterized by NMR, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), and single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. The luminescence properties of 10–12 in solution and the solid state have been studied. At room temperature, 10–12 exhibit evident luminescence in solution and the solid state. The emission wavelengths are found to be identical at 483 nm in CH 3 CN, but they are 484, 480 and 592 nm in the solid state for 10–12 , respectively. These results suggest that 12 dissociates into two molecules of 10 and Ag( i ) ions in solution. Complex 12 is the first luminescent heterometallic Cu/Ag–NHC complex. 

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4. Crystallographic characterization of rare-earth cyanotriphenylborate complexes and the cyanoborates [NCBPh ₃ ] ¹⁻ , [NCBPh ₂ Me] ¹⁻ , and [NCBPh ₂ (μ-O)BPh ₂ ] ¹⁻

   https://doi.org/10.1107/S2056989021006861  

   Dumas, Megan T.; White, Jessica R.; Ziller, Joseph W.; Evans, William J. (August 2021, Acta Crystallographica Section E Crystallographic Communications)

   The investigation of the coordination chemistry of rare-earth metal complexes with cyanide ligands led to the isolation and crystallographic characterization of the Ln III cyanotriphenylborate complexes dichlorido(cyanotriphenylborato-κ N )tetrakis(tetrahydrofuran-κ O )lanthanide(III), [ Ln Cl 2 (C 19 H 15 BN)(C 4 H 8 O) 4 ] [lanthanide ( Ln ) = dysprosium (Dy) and yttrium Y)] from reactions of LnCl 3 , KCN, and NaBPh 4 . Attempts to independently synthesize the tetraethylammonium salt of (NCBPh 3 ) − from BPh 3 and [NEt 4 ][CN] in THF yielded crystals of the phenyl-substituted cyclic borate, tetraethylazanium 2,2,4,6-tetraphenyl-1,3,5,2λ 4 ,4,6-trioxatriborinan-2-ide, C 8 H 20 N + ·C 24 H 20 B 3 O 3 − or [NEt 4 ][B 3 (μ-O) 3 (C 6 H 5 ) 4 ]. The mechanochemical reaction of BPh 3 and [NEt 4 ][CN] without solvent produced crystals of tetraethylazanium cyanodiphenyl-λ 4 -boranyl diphenylborinate, C 8 H 20 N + ·C 25 H 20 B 2 NO − or [NEt 4 ][NCBPh 2 (μ-O)BPh 2 ]. Reaction of BPh 3 and KCN in THF in the presence of 2.2.2-cryptand (crypt) led to a crystal of bis[(2.2.2-cryptand)potassium] 2,2,4,6-tetraphenyl-1,3,5,2λ 4 ,4,6-trioxatriborinan-2-ide cyanomethyldiphenylborate tetrahydrofuran disolvate, 2C 18 H 36 KN 2 O 6 + ·C 24 H 20 B 3 O 3 − ·C 14 H 13 BN − ·2C 4 H 8 O or [K(crypt)] 2 [B 3 (μ-O) 3 (C 6 H 5 ) 4 ][NCBPh 2 Me]·2THF. The [NCBPh 2 (μ-O)BPh 2 ] 1− and (NCBPh 2 Me) 1− anions have not been structurally characterized previously. The structure of 1-Y was refined as a two-component twin with occupancy factors 0.513 (1) and 0.487 (1). In 4 , one solvent molecule was disordered and included using multiple components with partial site-occupancy factors. 

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5. Synthesis and characterization of Ag( i ) and Au( i ) complexes with macrocyclic hybrid amine N-heterocyclic carbene ligands

   https://doi.org/10.1039/C7NJ04020B  

   Lu, Taotao; Yang, Chu-Fan; Steren, Carlos A.; Fei, Fan; Chen, Xue-Tai; Xue, Zi-Ling (January 2018, New Journal of Chemistry)

   Four macrocyclic hybrid salts with different numbers of benzimidazolium and amine units, [H 2 L][PF 6 ] 2 (L = L 1 , L 2 , L 3 ) and [H 4 L 4 ][PF 6 ] 4 , have been employed as the heterocyclic carbene (NHC) precursors toward new Ag( i )– and Au( i )–NHC complexes. Three trinuclear and one tetranuclear Ag( i ) complexes 1–4 have been obtained from the reactions of the NHC precursors and Ag 2 O in acetonitrile. Four dinuclear Au( i )–NHC complexes 5–8 have been prepared by reacting the NHC precursors and AuCl(SMe 2 ) in the presence of NaOAc in DMF. The molecular structures of all the complexes are established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies. The metal ions in the Ag( i ) complexes 1–3 and the Au( i ) complexes 5–7 are coordinated with two macrocyclic NHC ligands to form a sandwiched structure. In contrast, a trinuclear Ag 3 core is located in the cavity of one macrocyclic ligand in [Ag 3 (L 4 )][PF 6 ] 3 ( 4 ). The photoluminescence properties of Au( i ) complexes 5–8 have also been investigated. 

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