title: Luminescence color switching of supramolecular assemblies of discrete molecular decanuclear gold(I) sulfido complexes.
abstract: A series of discrete decanuclear gold(I) μ(3)-sulfido complexes with alkyl chains of various lengths on the aminodiphosphine ligands, [Au(10){Ph(2)PN(C(n)H2(n+1))PPh(2)}(4)(μ(3)-S)(4)](ClO(4))(2), has been synthesized and characterized. These complexes have been shown to form supramolecular nanoaggregate assemblies upon solvent modulation. The photoluminescence (PL) colors of the nanoaggregates can be switched from green to yellow to red by varying the solvent systems from which they are formed. The PL color variation was investigated and correlated with the nanostructured morphological transformation from the spherical shape to the cube as observed by transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Such variations in PL colors have not been observed in their analogous complexes with short alkyl chains, suggesting that the long alkyl chains would play a key role in governing the supramolecular nanoaggregate assembly and the emission properties of the decanuclear gold(I) sulfido complexes. The long hydrophobic alkyl chains are believed to induce the formation of supramolecular nanoaggregate assemblies with different morphologies and packing densities under different solvent systems, leading to a change in the extent of Au(I)-Au(I) interactions, rigidity, and emission properties.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Functional Materials [Areas of Excellence Scheme, University Grants Committee (Hong Kong)] and Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Franky Ka-Wah
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Hau
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Functional Materials [Areas of Excellence Scheme, University Grants Committee (Hong Kong)] and Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Terence Kwok-Ming
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Functional Materials [Areas of Excellence Scheme, University Grants Committee (Hong Kong)] and Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Eddie Chung-Chin
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Functional Materials [Areas of Excellence Scheme, University Grants Committee (Hong Kong)] and Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Vonika Ka-Man
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Au
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Functional Materials [Areas of Excellence Scheme, University Grants Committee (Hong Kong)] and Department of Chemistry, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China wwyam@hku.hk.
authors.forename: Vivian Wing-Wah
authors.initials: VW
authors.lastname: Yam
mesh_terms: D017612:Gold Compounds / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry*; D049449:Luminescence; D017348:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning Transmission; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D010316:Particle Size
chemical_list: D017612:Gold Compounds
keywords: color switching; gold cluster; luminescence; nanoaggregate