Supramolecular gold materials

Finally, although much less frequent, there are also supramolecular gold materials formed as a result of the presence of different types of interactions in which n electron density is responsible for the formation of a supermolecule or a supramolecular array. Thus, Au- %, —H- % or % n interactions will also be considered in this chapter. 

Cyclic trinuclear gold(I) complexes provide a novel and productive strategy for achieving supramolecular structures. While molecules of this type have been known for more than twenty years, some of their remarkable properties have only been recognized recently. Some can form liquid crystals at room temperature [41], while others lead to luminescent materials with surprising properties. We will now summarize some selected examples to illustrate the behavior of these trinuclear systems. 

Probably the most useful method for preparing polymeric materials through unsupported metallophilic interactions is an acid-base reaction. In these, basic gold(I) precursors react with metallic Lewis acids, forming supramolecular networks via acid-base stacking. The stability of these systems can be related to the ionic interactions nevertheless, the dispersion forces and relativistic effects can also be invoked to explain the formation of these systems, and in some occasions, these effects are even more important than the electrostatic attractions in determining the structural motifs. 

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