Single-crystal-to-single-crystal transformation and solvochromic luminescence of a dinuclear gold(I)-(aza-[18]crown-6)dithiocarbamate compound.

The treatment of [AuCl(SMe2 )] with an equimolar amount of NaO5 NCS2 (O5 NCS2 =(aza-[18]crown-6)dithiocarbamate) in CH3 CN gave [Au2 (O5 NCS2 )2 ]⋅2 CH3 CN (2⋅2 CH3 CN), and its crystal structure displays a dinuclear gold(I)-azacrown ether ring and an intermolecular gold(I)⋅⋅⋅gold(I) contact of 2.8355(3) Å in crystal lattices. It is noted that two other single crystals of 2⋅tert-butylbenzene⋅H2 O and 2⋅0.5 m-xylene can be successfully obtained from a single-crystal-to-single-crystal (SCSC) transformation process by immersing single crystals of 2⋅2 CH3 CN in the respective solvents, and both also show intermolecular gold(I)⋅⋅⋅gold(I) contacts of 2.9420(5) and 2.890(2)-2.902(2) Å, respectively. Significantly, the emissions of all three 2⋅solvates are well correlated with their respective intermolecular gold(I)⋅⋅⋅gold(I) contacts, where such contacts increase with 2⋅2 CH3 CN (2.8355(3) Å)<2⋅0.5 m-xylene (2.890(2)-2.902(2) Å)<2⋅tert-butylbenzene⋅H2 O (2.9420(5) Å), and their emission energies increase with 2⋅2 CH3 CN (602 nm)<2⋅0.5 m-xylene (583 nm)<2⋅tert-butylbenzene⋅H2 O (546 nm) as well. In this regard, we further examine the solvochromic luminescence for some other aromatics, and finally their emissions are within 546-602 nm. Obviously, the above results are mostly ascribed to the occurrence of intermolecular gold(I)⋅⋅⋅gold(I) contacts in 2⋅solvates, which are induced by the presence of various solvates in the solid state, as a key role to be responsible for their solvochromic luminescence.