No abstract

The reactions between the diphosphino-alkynyl gold complexes (XC6H4C2Au)PR2-C6H4-PR2(AuC2C6H4X) with Cu+ lead to the formation of a family of heterometallic clusters of the general formula [{Au3Cu2(C2C6H4X)6}Au3(PR2C6H4PR2)3][PF6]2 (X = NO2, H, OMe, NMe2; R = C6H5, NC4H4). These complexes adopt the same structural pattern and consist of a heterometallic alkynyl cluster [Au3Cu2(C2C6H4X)6]- "wrapped" by the cationic [Au3(PR2C6H4PR2)3]3+ "belt". The novel compounds were characterized by NMR spectroscopy and ESI-MS measurements. A systematic study of their luminescence properties revealed efficient room-temperature phosphorescence in solution with remarkably weak quenching by molecular oxygen. The photophysical experiments demonstrate that the increase in the electron donor ability of the alkynyl ligands and the electron-withdrawing character of the diphosphines results in the bathochromic shift of emission maxima (in the 576-686 nm range) and a decrease in the luminescence quantum yield. The electronic structure calculations showed that variations of X or R substituents have very little effect on the structural parameters but display a significant influence on the electronic properties of the clusters and characteristics of luminescence. The metal-centered triplet emission within the heterometallic alkynyl cluster is suggested to play a key role in the observed phosphorescence.

The reactions between diphosphino-alkynyl gold complexes (PhC2Au)PPh2(C6H4)(n)PPh2(AuC2Ph) (n = 1, 2, 3) with Cu(+) lead to formation of the heterometallic aggregates, the composition of which may be described by a general formula [{Au(x)Cu(y)(C2Ph)2x}Au3{PPh2(C6H4)(n)PPh2}3](3+(y-x)) (n = 1, 2, 3; x = (n + 1)(n + 2)/2; y = n(n + 1)). These compounds display very similar structural patterns and consist of the [Au(x)Cu(y)(C2Ph)2x](y-x) alkynyl clusters "wrapped" in the [Au3(diphosphine)3](3+) triangles. The complex for n = 1 was characterized crystallographically and spectrally, the larger ones (n = 2, 3) were investigated in detail by NMR spectroscopy. Their luminescence behavior has been studied, and a remarkably efficient emission with a maximum quantum yield of 0.92 (n = 1) has been detected. Photophysical experiments demonstrate that an increase of the size of the aggregates leads to a decrease in photostability and photoefficiency. Computational studies have been performed to provide additional insight into the structural and electronic properties of these supramolecular complexes. The theoretical results obtained are in good agreement with the experimental data, supporting the proposed structural motif. These studies also suggest that the observed efficient long-wavelength luminescence originates from metal-centered transitions within the heterometallic Au-Cu core.

Copper species are widely found in nature and are present in many enzymes as di-, tri-or polynuclear Cu centers that catalyze selectively various oxidation reactions.[1] These reactions include the poorly characterized particulate methane monooxygenase (pMMO), which is present in methanotrophs, wherein a tri-or multinuclear Cu cluster catalyzes alkane hydroxylation and alkene epoxidation.[1f-i] Although increasing attention has been paid to the design of Cu complexes with polydentate ligands as models of copper oxidases [1a,b, 2] and some mononuclear compounds have been

Abstract:The mono-, di-, tri-, tetra-and polynuclear copper (II) (5), respectively, are highly active and selective catalysts or catalyst precursors for the peroxidative oxidation of cyclohexane, in acetonitrile, to a cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone mixture, by aqueous hydrogen peroxide in acidic medium (liquid biphasic catalysis) at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. The effects on the catalytic activity of various factors, e.g., the relative amounts of cyclohexane, oxidant, catalyst, solvent and nitric acid, reaction time, catalyst recycling and impact of both carbon-and oxygen-centred radical traps (supporting mainly radical mechanisms) were investigated and allowed us to achieve yields and TONs up to ca. 39% and 380, respectively, corresponding to the most active copper systems so far reported for the oxidation of cyclohexane under mild conditions. The catalysts can be reused for recycling and, at least complex 4 maintains almost the same level of activity even after five reaction cycles. The preparation of the new complexes 1, 2b and 2c by self-assembly at room temperature, and their full characterization by IR spectroscopy, FAB-MS þ , elemental and X-ray diffraction structural (for 1 and 2c) analyses are also reported.