Binuclear Gold(I) Phosphine Alkynyl Complexes Templated on a Flexible Cyclic Phosphine Ligand: Synthesis and Some Features of Solid-State Luminescence

A flexible bidentate cyclic phosphine, namely, 1,5-bis(p-tolyl)-3,7-bis(pyridin-2-yl)-1,5-diaza-3,7-diphosphacyclooctane (PNNP), was used as a template to construct a family of binuclear heteroleptic phosphine alkynyl complexes [PNNP(AuC2R)2], with R = Ph, C6H10OH, C5H8OH, (CH3)2COH, Ph2COH. All complexes obtained were characterized by CHN elemental analysis, NMR spectroscopy, and single-crystal X-ray analysis. It was found that the gold(I) complexes demonstrate a different organization of the crystal structure depending on the nature of the cocrystallized solvent (dichloromethane, acetone, and acetonitrile) because of formation of the supramolecular complexes through hydrogen bonding. These weak interactions appear to determine the conformation, packing, and spatial cooperation of flexible complex molecules that are reflected in the photophysical properties, which were carefully investigated in solution and in the solid state. The complexes demonstrate weak emission in solution at room temperature, and f...