Structures and Luminescence Properties of Cyclometalated Dinuclear Platinum(II) Complexes Bridged by Pyridinethiolate Ions

A series of cyclometalated dinuclear platinum(II) complexes bridged by pyridine-2-thiolate (pyt) ions, [Pt-2(L)(2)-(pyt)(2)] (HL = 2-(p-tolyl)pyridine (Hptpy), 2-(2-thienyl)pyridine (Hthpy), or benzo[h]quinoline (Hbzqn)), as well as their two-electron-oxidized dinuclear platinum(III) complexes, [Pt2Cl2(L)(2)(pyt)(2)], have been synthesized and characterized. The structures and luminescence properties have been investigated by comparing them with those of the corresponding 2-phenylpyridinato (ppy) complex. All divalent complexes have similar dinuclear frameworks, with short Pt center dot center dot center dot Pt distances (ca. 2.85 angstrom), and exhibit similar intense luminescence from the triplet metal metal-to-ligand charge-transfer ((MMLCT)-M-3) state in glassy solutions. However, they provide different luminescence features reflecting their dynamic behaviors in fluid solutions and their intermolecular interactions in the solid state. [Pt-2(bzqn)(2)(pyt)(2)] containing fused aromatic rings exhibits the most sensitive features to the environment, i.e., it shows the most red-shifted luminescence spectrum in the solid state due to the intermolecular pi-pi interaction. However, in fluid solution, it provides very weak luminescence based on a rapid nonradiative deactivation mainly caused by the fluctuation of the intramolecular pi-pi repulsion between the ligands. [Pt-2(Ptpy)(2)(pyt)(2)], on the other hand, is the most stable luminophore, which always exhibits intense luminescence with an almost constant emission maximum independent of its temperature and state.