Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 8, 2026

Synthesis of Near-Infrared Emitting Gold Nanoclusters for Biological Applications
Published on: March 22, 2020
Synthesis, photophysical properties, and molecular aggregation of gold(I) complexes containing carbon-donor ligands
Andy Lok-Fung Chow1, Man-Ho So, Wei Lu
1Department of Chemistry, Institute of Molecular Functional Materials and HKU-CAS Joint Laboratory on New Materials, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China.
Abstract:
A series of gold(I) complexes with N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) and acetylide ligands, namely [Au(NHC(1))(C≡CAr)] (NHC(1)=1-(9-anthracenylmethyl)-3-(n)-butylimidazol-2-ylidene; 1b-1g), [Au(NHC(2))(C≡CAr)] (NHC(2)=1,3-diethylimidazol-2-ylidene; 2b-2f) and [Au(C≡NAr)(2)](+) (C≡NAr=arylisocyanide; 3a-3f) have been synthesized. At room temperature, most of these gold(I) complexes are emissive in the solid state and in solutions with lifetimes in the nanosecond to submicrosecond regime. The emissions of complexes 1b-1g in solutions are assigned to (1)π-π* excited states of the NHC ligand, while that of 2b-2f and 3a-3f are phosphorescent in nature. The intriguing solvatochromism of complex 3a was also investigated. Complexes 1b, 1d, 3a, and 3e aggregate into crystalline nanowires in freshly prepared THF/water dispersions. The X-ray crystallographic data reveal that 1b and 1d possess intermolecular π-π and C-H···π interactions; while 3a was found to display intermolecular gold(I)···π interactions.
Related Concept Videos
Metal-Ligand Bonds
In these complexes, transition metals form coordinate covalent bonds, a kind of Lewis acid-base interaction in which both of the electrons in the bond are contributed by a donor (Lewis base) to an electron acceptor (Lewis acid). The Lewis acid in...
Colors and Magnetism
When atoms or molecules absorb light at the proper frequency, their electrons are excited to higher-energy orbitals. For many main group atoms and molecules, the absorbed photons are in the ultraviolet range of the electromagnetic spectrum, which cannot be detected by the human eye. For coordination compounds, the energy difference between the d orbitals often allows photons in the visible range to be absorbed and emitted, which is seen as colors by the human eye.
Complexation Equilibria: The Chelate Effect
Complexation Equilibria: Factors Influencing Stability of Complexes
Immunogold Electron Microscopy
Complexometric Titration: Ligands

