Luminescent gold(I) metallo-acids and their hydrogen bonded supramolecular liquid crystalline derivatives with decyloxystilbazole as hydrogen acceptor

Gold complexes of 4-isocyanobenzoic acid, [AuX(CNC6H4CO2H)] (X = C C-C6H4-C9H19, C6F5, C6F4OC6H13, C6F4C6F4Br) and [(mu-4,4'-C6F4C6F4){Au(CNC6H4CO2H)}(2)], have been isolated. These metallo-acids are luminescent. The single crystal X-ray diffraction study of [Au(C6F5)(CNC6H4CO2H)](infinity) confirms a rod-like structure of the molecule, with a linear coordination around the gold atom, which extends into a supramolecular entity supported by hydrogen bond, gold-gold, and fluorophilic (F-ortho center dot center dot center dot F-meta) interactions. The carboxylic acid group of the gold isocyanide complexes acts also as a hydrogen donor towards the hydrogen acceptor decyloxystilbazole, affording some hydrogen-bonded supramolecular liquid crystals.