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Updated: Apr 27, 2026

Synthesis of Near-Infrared Emitting Gold Nanoclusters for Biological Applications
Published on: March 22, 2020
Luminescent gold and silver complexes with the monophosphane 1-(PPh2)-2-Me-C2B10H10 and their conversion to gold
Olga Crespo1, Carlos Díaz, Colm O'Dwyer
1Departamento de Quı́mica Inorgánica, Universidad de Zaragoza-CSIC, Instituto de Sı́ntesis Quı́mica y Catálisis Homogénea (ISQCH) , Pedro Cerbuna 12, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain.
Abstract:
Gold and silver complexes containing the monophosphane 1-PPh2-2-Me-l,2-C2B10H10 with different coordination numbers (2, 3) have been synthesized: [M(7,8-(PPh2)2-C2B9H10)(1-PPh2-2-Me-C2B10H10)] (M = Ag, Au) and [Au2(μ-1,n-C2B10H10)(1-PPh2-2-Me-C2B10H10)2] (n = 2, 12). Solid-state pyrolysis of [AuCl(1-PPh2-2-Me-C2B10H10)] and [Au2(μ-1,12-C2B10H10)(1-PPh2-2-Me-C2B10H10)2] in air and of solutions of [AuCl(1-PPh2-2-Me-C2B10H10)] deposited on silicon and silica at 800 °C results in single-crystal Au, confirmed by diffraction and SEM-EDS. The morphology of the pyrolytic products depends on the thermolytic conditions, and different novel 3-D superstructures or microcrystals are possible. We also propose a mechanism for the thermal conversion of these precursors to structural crystalline and phase pure materials. The presence of the carborane monophosphane seems to originate quenching of the luminescence at room temperature in the complexes [Au2(μ-1,n-C2B10H10)(1-PPh2-2-Me-C2B10H10)2], in comparison with other [Au2(μ-1,n-C2B10H10)L2] species (L = monophosphane).

