Photoinduced Isomerization-Driven Structural Transformation Between Decanuclear and Octadecanuclear Gold(I) Sulfido Clusters

Upon photoirradiation, isomerization of the ligands, 1,2-bis­(diphenylphosphino)­ethene (dppee) from the cis to the trans form in polynuclear gold­(I) sulfido clusters, led to the structural transformation of the decagold­(I) cluster to the octadecagold­(I) cluster. Both polynuclear μ3-sulfido gold­(I) clusters have been fully characterized by NMR, mass spectrometry, elemental analysis, and single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The transformation process could be readily detected and monitored by UV–vis absorption, emission, and 31P NMR spectroscopy in solution. Supported and driven by Au­(I)···Au­(I) bonding interactions, the nuclearity and symmetry of these clusters were largely different from each other, resulting in completely distinct photophysical features.