Photophysical properties, electronic and crystal structures of luminescent diphosphine digold(I)-pyridine-2-thiolate complexes

Treatment of diphosphine digold(I) complexes, PP(AuCl)2 [PP=bis(diphenylphosphino)methane, dppm; 1,6-bis(diphenylphosphino)hexane, dpph], with two equivalents of pyridine-2-thiol (HNS) in the presence of NaOCH3 affords two luminescent diphosphine digold(I)-pyridine-2-thiolate complexes, dppm(AuSN)2 (1) and dpph(AuSN)2 (2), respectively. Both crystal structures have been determined by crystallographic studies. The intramolecular aurophilic contact of 3.0478(3) Å is observed in the crystal structure of 1, whereas there is not any aurophilic interaction present in the crystal lattices of 2. At room temperature, 1 shows a low-energy emission at ca. 660 nm as well as a very weak high-energy emission at ca. 496 nm in the solid state, but 2 shows only a strong high-energy one at ca. 482 nm. Thus, the emission energy strongly dependent on the Au(I)⋯Au(I) interaction can be demonstrated in the diphosphine digold(I) thiolates studied herein.