Synthesis, electrochemistry and structural characterization of luminescent rhenium(I) monoynyl complexes and their homo- and hetero-metallic binuclear complexes

A series of luminescent rhenium(I) monoynyl complexes, [Re(N---N)(CO)₃(CC---R)] (N---N=bpy, ^tBu₂bpy; R=C₆H₅, C₆H₄---Cl-4, C₆H₄---OCH₃-4, C₆H₄---C₈H₁₇-4, C₆H₄---C₆H₅, C₈H₁₇, C₄H₃S, C₄H₂S---C₄H₃S, C₅H₄N), together with their homo- and hetero-metallic binuclear complexes, {Re(N---N)(CO)₃(CC---C₅H₄N)[M]} (N---N=bpy, ^tBu₂bpy; [M]=[Re{(CF₃)₂-bpy}(CO)₃]ClO₄, [Re(NO₂-phen)(CO)₃]ClO₄, W(CO)₅) have been synthesized and their electrochemical and photoluminescence behaviors determined. The structural characterization and electronic structures of selected complexes have also been studied. The luminescence origin of the rhenium(I) alkynyl complexes has been assigned as derived states of a [dπ(Re)→π*(N---N)] metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) origin mixed with a [π(CCR)→π*(N---N)] ligand-to-ligand charge transfer (LLCT) character. The assignments are further supported by extended Hückel molecular orbital (EHMO) calculations, which show that the LUMO mainly consists of π*(N---N) character while the HOMO is dominated by the antibonding character of the Re---CCR moiety resulted from the overlap of the dπ(Re) and π(CCR) orbitals.