Bi- and trinuclear coinage metal complexes of a PNNP ligand featuring metallophilic interactions and an unusual charge separation

Dalton Trans. 2021 Oct 5;50(38):13412-13420. doi: 10.1039/d1dt02226a.

Abstract

A selective synthesis of bi- and trinuclear complexes featuring a tetradentate monoanionic PNNP ligand is presented. The binuclear coinage metal complexes show a typical fourfold coordination for Cu and Ag, which changes to a bifold coordination for Au. The latter is accompanied by an unusual charge separation. Optical properties are investigated using photoluminescence spectroscopy and complemented by time-dependent density-functional-theory calculations. All compounds demonstrate clearly distinguished features dependent on the metals chosen and differences in the complex scaffold.