Luminescent Cyclometalated Alkynylplatinum(II) Complexes with a Tridentate Pyridine-Based N-Heterocyclic Carbene Ligand: Synthesis, Characterization, Electrochemistry, Photophysics, and Computational Studies

A new class of luminescent alkynylplatinum(II) complexes with a tridentate pyridine-based N-heterocyclic carbene (2,6-bis(1-butylimidazol-2-ylidenyl)pyridine) ligand, [Pt-II(C boolean AND N boolean AND C)(CCR)][PF6], and their chloroplatinum(II) precursor complex, [Pt-II(C boolean AND N boolean AND C)Cl][PF6], have been synthesized and characterized. One of the alkynylplatinum(II) complexes has also been structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography. The electrochemistry, electronic absorption and luminescence properties of the complexes have been studied. Nanosecond transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy has also been performed to probe the nature of the excited state. The origin of the absorption and emission properties has been supported by computational studies.