Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology

The synthesis of four novel gold(I)-phosphine complexes coordinated to 9-phenanthrene chromophore has been carried out through the reaction of the 9-phenanthrene boronic acid and the corresponding AuClPR₃ (PR₃ = PPh₃ for triphenylphosphane (1a); PMe₃ for trimethylphosphane (1b); or (AuCl)₂(diphos) (diphos = bis(diphenylphosphanyl)methane or dppm (2c); 1,4-bis(diphenylphosphanyl)butane or dppb (2d); bis(diphenylphosphanyl)acetylene or dppa (2e)) sources. X-Ray crystal structure of the compounds 1a and 2d indicates the resulting intermolecular assemblies with the formation of MOF-like structures with empty inner cavities and in the absence of aurophilic contacts. On the contrary, the formation of a tetranuclear complex was evidenced for 2c with intramolecular aurophilic interactions.

Photophysical characterization indicates dual emission in all gold(I) complexes when oxygen is removed from the sample while only fluorescence emission is recorded for the uncoordinated ligand. The introduction of the compounds within PMMA and Zeonex was assayed and we can obtain luminescent films containing gold(I) complexes where phosphorescence is the solely pathway for emission, instead of the dual emission (with significant fluorescence contribution) recorded in solution.