New Structural Motifs in the Aggregation of Neutral Gold(I) Complexes: Structures and Luminescence from (Alkyl isocyanide)AuCN

The preparation and X-ray crystal structures of (CyNC)AuICN, (n-BuNC)AuICN, and (i-PrNC)AuICN·0.5CH2Cl2 are
reported and compared with those of (MeNC)AuICN and (t-BuNC)AuICN, which were previously described. These
linear molecules are all organized through aurophilic interactions into three structural classes:  simple chains ((CyNC)AuICN and (t-BuNC)AuICN), side-by-side chains in which two strands make Au···Au contact with each other ((n-BuNC)AuICN), and nets in which multiple aurophilic interactions produce layers of gold(I) centers ((i-PrNC)AuICN
and (MeNC)AuICN). All of these five solids dissolve to produce colorless, nonluminescent solutions with similar
UV/vis spectra. However, each of the solids displays a unique luminescence with emission maxima occurring in
the range 371−430 nm.