Facile synthesis of Copper(I) formamidinates and their photoluminescence properties

• Copper(I) formamidinates were synthesised by treatment of formamidines with Cu 2 O in pyridine. • Copper (I) formamidinates have been shown to be nicely luminescent. • Copper(I) complexes will have potential as reagents in the synthesis of lanthanoid compounds in redox transmetallation reactions. As a part of investigating the reaction of group 11 metal oxides with proligands, a series of luminescent dinuclear Cu(I) formamidinates, [Cu₂(DippForm)₂] ( 1 ) (DippForm = N , N’-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)formamidinate), [Cu₂(EtForm)₂py] ( 2 ) (EtForm = N , N’-bis(2,6-diethylphenyl)formamidinate, py = pyridine), {[Cu₂(XylForm)₂py]·py} ( 3 ) (XylForm = N , N’-bis(2,6-dimethylphenyl)formamidinate), [Cu₂(MesForm)₂py] ( 4 ) (MesForm = N , N’-bis(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)formamidinate), [Cu₂( o -TolForm)₂py] ( 5 ) ( o -TolForm = N , N’-bis(2-methylphenyl)formamidinate), [Cu₂(CF₃Form)₂] ( 6 ) (CF₃Form = N , N’-bis(2-trifluoromethylphenyl)formamidinate), and [Cu₂(DFForm)₂(py)₂] ( 7 ) (DFForm = N , N’-bis(2,6-difluorophenyl)formamidinate), were synthesized by the direct reaction of cuprous oxide with the corresponding formamidine in pyridine. One of the metal centres was coordinated by pyridine in complexes 2–5 and each metal centre was coordinated by solvent molecules in complex 7 . The luminescent bimetallic complexes were investigated for their photophysical properties in their solid state. Solid state measurements of the complexes at ambient temperature and at low temperature show phosphorescence emission. As a part of investigating the reaction of group 11 metal oxides with proligands, a series of luminescent dinuclear Cu(I) formamidinates, were synthesized by the direct reaction of cuprous oxide with the corresponding formamidine in pyridine. The luminescent bimetallic complexes were investigated for their photophysical properties in their solid state.