Mechano-induced reversible colour and luminescence switching of a gold(<scp>i</scp>)–diphosphine complex

Abstract

A gold(i)-diphosphine simultaneously exhibits reversible mechanochromism and mechanochromic luminescence. The mechanical grinding can trigger a transformation from a neutral mononuclear structure exhibiting white colour and blue photoluminescence to an ionic dinuclear structure with intramolecular aurophilic interactions exhibiting yellow colour and red emission.