Synthesis and Characterization of Gold(I) Complexes with 9‐(4‐Isocyanophenyl)carbazole or 9‐Ethyl‐3‐isocyanocarbazole Ligands

The carbazole derivatives 9‐(4‐isocyanophenyl)carbazole, 3,6‐dibromo‐9‐(4‐isocyanophenyl)carbazole, and 9‐ethyl‐3‐isocyanocarbazole were prepared and used to synthesize [AuX(CN‐carbazole)] (X = Cl, C 6 F 5 , C 6 F 4 ‐OEt‐ p ) gold complexes. The X‐ray structures of [Au(C 6 F 4 ‐OEt‐ p ){9‐(4‐isocyanophenyl)carbazole}] and [Au(C 6 F 5 )(9‐ethyl‐3‐isocyanocarbazole)], and the luminescent properties of the ligands and the complexes in the solid state, in solution at room temperature, and in frozen solution of chloroform at 77 K were determined. All the gold complexes show a redshift in the emissions relative to that of the free ligand. The presence of electron‐withdrawing substituents in 3,6‐dibromo‐9‐(4‐isocyanophenyl)carbazole quenches the luminescence, but with the introduction of a gold atom some luminescence is recovered.(© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009)