Femtosecond 'snapshots' reveal a dramatic bond tightening in photo-excited gold complexes
Friday, May 17, 2013 - 08:30
in Physics & Chemistry
Metal complexes are becoming increasingly important as the photochemical building blocks of functional molecular systems such as sensors and photoelectrochemical cells. Of particular interest are metal complexes that involve gold atoms in the +1 valence state, due to their ability to self-assemble into larger units. The assembly process, known as aurophilic interaction, is enhanced by photoexcitation—an effect recently exploited by chemists to link individual gold(I)–dicyanide complexes into phosphorescent oligomer chains through careful control of complex concentrations and light exposure. However, the fundamental structural details of this reaction have yet to be understood.