Exceptionally Long-Lived Luminescence from [Cu(I)(isocyanide)2(phen)]+ Complexes in Nanoporous Crystals Enables Remarkable Oxygen Gas Sensing

We report crystalline mixed-ligand copper complexes with phenanthroline and isocyanides with almost millesecond emission lifetimes that are efficient dioxygen sensors. The oxygen sensitivity of the prototype ([Cu­(CN-xylyl)2(dmp)]­tfpb, dmp = 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline; CN-xylyl = 2,6-dimethylphenylisocyanide; tfpb = tetrakis­(bis-3,5-trifluoromethylphenylborate) is 38 times better than that of [Ru­(phen)3]­tfpb2 (phen = 1,10-phenanthroline).