Luminescent Behavior of Liquid–Crystalline Gold(I) Complexes Bearing a Carbazole Moiety: Effects of Substituent Bulkiness

Abstract

Organometallic materials that exhibit white luminescence in condensed phases are of considerable interest for lighting and display applications. Herein, new carbazole-based Au(I) complexes containing an isocyanide group and a long pentyl chain were synthesized. The complex with an unsubstituted carbazole moiety exhibited a white emission at room temperature as well as nematic liquid crystalline behavior. Color tunability from white to blue was achieved when bulkier substituents were introduced at the 3 and 6 positions of the carbazole moiety. Furthermore, all complexes possessed long phosphorescence lifetimes in the crystal state. The proposed design framework provides new opportunities for practical applications using luminescent organometallic molecules.