Luminescent nido-carborane-diphosphine anions [(PR2)2C2B9H10](-) (R = Ph, (i)Pr). Modification of their luminescence properties upon formation of three-coordinate gold(I) complexes.

The free nido-diphosphine anions [(PR(2))(2)C(2)B(9)H(10)](-) (R = Ph, (i)Pr) show luminescence properties whereas the closo-diphosphines [(PR(2))(2)C(2)B(10)H(10)] do not. Four families of three-coordinate complexes of stoichiometry [Au[(PR(2))(2)C(2)B(10)H(10)]L]OTf (L = tertiary phosphine) and [Au[(PR(2))(2)C(2)B(9)H(10)]L] have been studied in order to analyze the influence of the closo- or nido-nature of the diphosphine, the monophosphine coordinated to gold and the substituent at the diphosphine on the luminescence of the complexes. Only the nido-derivatives show luminescence. The maxima of the emissions are shifted to lower energies than those of the corresponding free nido-diphosphines. When the substituent at the diphosphine is phenyl, a new emission appears, which has been assigned as arising from a metal to ligand charge transfer [Au-->pi(L)] excited state.