Brilliant reversible luminescent mechanochromism of silver(I) complexes containing o-bis(diphenylphosphino)benzene and phosphinesulfide.

The Ag(I) complex with o-bis(diphenylphosphino)benzene shows reversible interconversion between blue-emitting (1b) and green-emitting (1g) materials on grinding and heating; comparison of the structure of 1b with another green-emitting crystals (2) having the same formula suggests the chromism results from intermolecular interactions between adjacent phenylene rings.