Two-Coordinate Copper(I)/NHC Complexes: Dual Emission Properties and Ultralong Room-Temperature Phosphorescence

As a kind of photoluminescent material, Cu^I complexes have many advantages such as adjustable emission, variable structures, and low cost, attracting attention in many fields. In this work, two novel two-coordinate Cu^I -N-heterocyclic carbene complexes were synthesized, and they exhibit unique dual emission properties, fluorescence and phosphorescence. The crystal structure, packing mode, and photophysical properties under different conditions were systematically studied, proving the emissive mechanism to be the locally excited state of the carbazole group. Based on this mechanism, ultralong room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) with a lifetime of 140 ms is achieved by selective deuteration of the carbazole group. These results deepen the understanding of the luminescence mechanism and design strategy for two-coordinate Cu^I complexes, and prove their potential in applications as ultralong RTP materials.