Spectral and luminescent properties of ammonia cyclopalladated complexes

The synthesis of ammonia cyclometalated palladium(II) complexes Pd(NH₃)₂C^N]ClO₄ (C^N is the deprotonated form of 2-phenylpyridine, 2-(para-tolyl)pyridine, 7,8-benzo(h)quinoline, 2,6-diphenylpyridine, and 4-phenylpyrimidine) is developed. The IR and electronic absorption and emission spectra of these complexes are studied. It is found that the ammine and analogous ethylenediamine cyclometalated Pd(II) complexes have similar spectral and luminescent properties and the same nature of the electronically excited ³(π-π*)-type state responsible for the long-lived luminescence, the π and π* orbitals being localized on the corresponding cyclometalating ligand. The efficient temperature quenching of the luminescence of Pd(II) complexes at room temperature is assigned to the thermally activated population of metal-centered electronically excited states with subsequent nonradiative deactivation.