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Synthesis of Near-Infrared Emitting Gold Nanoclusters for Biological Applications
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A highly luminescent octanuclear gold(i) carbide cluster
Thomas J Feuerstein1, Marieke Poß, Tim P Seifert
1Institute of Inorganic Chemistry, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Engesserstrasse 15, 76131 Karlsruhe, Germany. roesky@kit.edu.
Chemical Communications (Cambridge, England)
|August 9, 2017
Summary
Researchers synthesized novel gold(I) amidinate complexes, including a polynuclear carbide-bridged structure. These stable compounds exhibit intense luminescence, showcasing unique carbide coordination and aurophilic interactions.
Area of Science:
- Organometallic Chemistry
- Coordination Chemistry
- Materials Science
Background:
- Gold(I) complexes are known for their unique electronic properties and potential applications in catalysis and materials science.
- Alkyne functionalized ligands offer versatile coordination modes and can stabilize unusual metal cluster architectures.
- Carbide ligands in organometallic chemistry are rare and present significant synthetic challenges.
Purpose of the Study:
- To synthesize and characterize novel dinuclear and polynuclear gold(I) amidinate complexes.
- To investigate the coordination chemistry of a μ3-η1:η2-carbide ligand in a gold(I) cluster.
- To explore the structural, stability, and photophysical properties of these gold(I) compounds.
Main Methods:
- Salt metathesis reactions between a lithium amidinate precursor and gold(I) chloride complexes.
- X-ray crystallography for structural determination of the dinuclear and polynuclear gold complexes.
- Spectroscopic and analytical techniques to confirm compound identity and stability.
- Photophysical measurements (luminescence spectroscopy) to assess emission properties.
Main Results:
- Successful synthesis of a dinuclear alkyne-functionalized bis(amidinate)gold(I) complex.
- Formation of the first gold(I) complex featuring a μ3-η1:η2-carbide coordination mode within a polynuclear cluster ([Au8]).
- Both gold(I) compounds exhibit significant aurophilic interactions and remarkable stability under ambient conditions.
- Intense luminescence with high quantum yields was observed in both solid-state and solution phases.
Conclusions:
- The study demonstrates a viable synthetic route to complex gold(I) amidinate clusters.
- The discovered μ3-η1:η2-carbide coordination represents a novel bonding mode for gold clusters.
- The synthesized gold(I) complexes possess attractive photoluminescent properties, suggesting potential for optoelectronic applications.
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