Two different organometallic gold(I) compounds containing
naphthalene
and phenanthrene as fluorophores and 2-pyridyldiphenylphosphane as
the ancillary ligand were synthesized (compounds 1 with naphthalene
and 2 with phenanthrene). They were reacted with three different copper(I)
salts with different counterions (PF6–, OTf–, and BF4–;
OTf = triflate) to obtain six Au(I)/Cu(I) heterometallic clusters
(compounds1a–cfor naphthalene derivatives
and2a–cfor phenanthrene derivatives).
The heterometallic compounds present red pure room-temperature phosphorescence
in both solution, the solid state, and air-equilibrated samples, as
a difference with the dual emission recorded for the gold(I) precursors1and2. The presence of Au(I)–Cu(I) metallophilic
contacts has been identified using single-crystal X-ray diffraction
structure resolution of two of the compounds, which play a direct
role in the resulting red-shifted emission with respect to the gold(I)
homometallic precursors. Polystyrene (PS) and poly(methyl methacrylate)
(PMMA) polymeric matrices were doped with our luminescent compounds,
and the resulting changes in their emissive properties were analyzed
and compared with those previously recorded in the solution and the
solid state. All complexes were tested to analyze their ability to
produce1O2and present very good values of
ΦΔup to 50%.