Synthesis and structural characterization of Cu(I) and Ni(II) complexes that contain the bis[2-(diphenylphosphino)phenyl]ether ligand. Novel emission properties for the Cu(I) species.

The pseudotetrahedral complexes [Cu(NN)(DPEphos)]BF(4), where DPEphos = bis[2-(diphenylphosphino)phenyl]ether and NN = 1,10-phenanthroline (1), 2,9-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline (2), 2,9-di-n-butylphenanthroline (3), or two dimethylcyanamides (4), and NiCl(2)(DPEphos) (5) have been synthesized and structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography and their solution properties examined by use of a combination of cyclic voltammetry, NMR spectroscopy, and electronic absorption spectroscopy. Complexes 1-4 possess a reversible Cu(II)/Cu(I) couple at potentials upward of +1.2 V versus Ag/AgCl. Compounds 1-3 exhibit extraordinary photophysical properties. In room-temperature dichloromethane solution, the charge-transfer excited state of the dmp (dbp) derivative exhibits an emission quantum yield of 0.15 (0.16) and an excited-state lifetime of 14.3 mus (16.1 mus). Coordinating solvents quench the charge-transfer emission to a degree, but the photoexcited dmp complex 2 retains a lifetime of over a microsecond in acetone, methanol, and acetonitrile.