Pyridine gold complexes. an emering class of luminescent materials

Abstract

Pyridine-type ligands are considered one of the most versatile ligands in photochemistry since they can act as emitters themselves or as donor or acceptors of electronic density depending on the electronic character of the substituents of the rings and the metal centers bonded to them. Gold is a well known metal with an impressive tendency to form metal aggregates through metal-metal interactions and, therefore, gold complexes bearing these ligands are tailored derivatives with potential as emitting materials. The new possibilities of experimental and theoretical studies that appear with the easy synthesis of a new class of luminescent materials formed by the combination of pyridine ligands and gold are shown here.