The First Series of Luminescent (μ₄-Chalcogenido)silver(I) Clusters

Abstract

A novel class of tetranuclear silver(I) clusters containing an unsubstituted quadruply bridging chalcogenide, [Ag4(μ-dppm)4(μ4-E)](OTf)2 [E = S (1), Se (2), Te (3)], have been synthesized and characterized by X-ray crystallography. The clusters have been shown to possess rich photophysical properties. It is suggested that the excited states of the clusters bear a high parentage of ligand-to-metal charge-transfer LMCT [(E2-) → Ag4] character.