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Simple Synthetic Routes to Carbene‐M‐Amido (M=Cu, Ag, Au) Complexes for Luminescence and Photocatalysis Applications
Author(s) -
Tzouras Nikolaos V.,
Martynova Ekaterina A.,
Ma Xinyuan,
Scattolin Thomas,
Hupp Benjamin,
Busen Hendrik,
Saab Marina,
Zhang Ziyun,
Falivene Laura,
Pisanò Gianmarco,
Van Hecke Kristof,
Cavallo Luigi,
Cazin Catherine S. J.,
Steffen Andreas,
Nolan Steven P.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
chemistry – a european journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.687
H-Index - 242
eISSN - 1521-3765
pISSN - 0947-6539
DOI - 10.1002/chem.202101476
Subject(s) - phosphorescence , carbene , luminescence , photocatalysis , chemistry , solvent , combinatorial chemistry , metal , photochemistry , nanotechnology , fluorescence , materials science , organic chemistry , catalysis , optoelectronics , physics , quantum mechanics
The development of novel and operationally simple synthetic routes to carbene‐metal‐amido (CMA) complexes of copper, silver and gold relevant for photonic applications are reported. A mild base and sustainable solvents allow all reactions to be conducted in air and at room temperature, leading to high yields of the targeted compounds even on multigram scales. The effect of various mild bases on the N−H metallation was studied in silico and experimentally, while a mechanochemical, solvent‐free synthetic approach was also developed. Our photophysical studies on [M(NHC)(Cbz)] (Cbz=carbazolyl) indicate that the occurrence of fluorescent or phosphorescent states is determined primarily by the metal, providing control over the excited state properties. Consequently, we demonstrate the potential of the new CMAs beyond luminescence applications by employing a selected CMA as a photocatalyst. The exemplified synthetic ease is expected to accelerate the applications of CMAs in photocatalysis and materials chemistry.