An ab initio study on luminescent properties and aurophilic attraction of binuclear gold(I) complexes with phosphinothioether ligands

Electronic structures and spectroscopic properties of the binuclear head-to-tail [Au-2(PH2CH2SH)(2)](2)](2+) (1) complex were investigated by ab initio calculations. The solvent effect of the complex in the acetonitrile solution was taken into account by the weakly solvated [Au-2(PH2CH2SH)(2)](2+).(MeCN)(2) (2) moiety in the calculations. The ground-state geometries of 1 and 2 were fully optimized by the MP2 method, while their excited-state structures were optimized by the CIS method. Aurophilic attraction apparently exists between the two Au(I) atoms in the ground state and is strongly enhanced in the excited state. A high-energy phosphorescent emission was calculated at 337 nm for 1 in the absence of the interactions with solvent molecules and/or counteranion in solid state; however the lowest-energy emission of 2 was obtained at 614 nm with the nature of Au-3(s(sigma)) --> (1)A(g)(d(sigma)) (metal-centered, MC) transition. The coordination of acetonitrile to the gold atom in solution results in a dramatic red shift of emission wavelength. The investigations on the head-to-tail [Au-2(PH2SCH2SCH3)(2)](2+) (5) and [Au-2(PH2CH2SCH3)(2)](2+).(MeCN)(2) (6) moieties indicate that the CH3 substituent on the S atom causes blue shifts of emission wavelength for 5 and 6 with respect to 1 and 2. By comparison between Au(I) thioether 1 and head-to-tail Au(I) thiolate [Au-2(PH2CH2S)(2)] (7), it is concluded that the S-->Au dative bonding results in evidently different transition characteristics from the S-Au covalent bonding in the Au(I) thioether/thiolate complexes.