Tuning the supramolecular order and emission of solvent vapour-responsive aurophilic 1-D chain structures through the counterion shape
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Updated: Oct 31, 2026

Controlling the Size, Shape and Stability of Supramolecular Polymers in Water
Published on: August 2, 2012
Afsaneh Akar1, Khuong D Ho1, Jefferson A Pells1
1Department of Chemistry, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia, V5A 1S6, Canada. vance_williams@sfu.ca.
Abstract:
Judicious choice of alkylammonium cations with a range of alkyl-chain lengths mediates intermolecular aurophilic interactions in [RMe3N]2[Au2(i-mnt)2] (i-mnt = (CN)2CCS22-; R = CnH2n+1 where n = 4, 8, 10, 16) and controls the supramolecular packing of the anionic aurophilic chains. The emissive 1-D aurophilic gold(I) chains self-assemble into columnar or lamellar structures depending on the alkyl chain. The cetyltrimethylammonium derivative is stimuli-responsive, changing its emission from green to orange/yellow/red on exposure to different solvent vapours.
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