Synthesis of luminescent copper complexes

The present PhD thesis descibes the preparation of stable Cu(I) complexes through appropriate ligand design to prevent the formation of several species in equilibrium. In the case of dinucleating P,N-ligands, the proposed strategy is based on the use of a ligand with additional substituents to shield the metal centers and thus to prevent nucleophilic attacks leading to ligand dissociation. In the case of the [Cu(NN)(PP)]+ derivatives, the proposed synthetic strategy relies on the use of macrocyclic phenanthroline ligands preventing the formation of the corresponding homoleptic complexes [Cu(NN)2]+. Stable luminescent complexes have been thus prepared, the emission quantum yields being as high as 46% in the solid state for the best emitters.