Daniel B. Leznoff – Department of Chemistry, Simon Fraser University
The Leznoff group has been incorporating paramagnetic and diamagnetic metal centres and non-octahedral cyanometallates into polymers, targeting magnetic, vapochromic, birefringent, luminescent, negative- thermal expansion and other properties. In particular, neglected linear d10[Au(CN)2]–building blocks have been targeted to take advantage of attractive aurophilic interactions to increase structural dimensionality. Several property-based vignettes from this work will be presented in this lecture. For example, simple “mineral-like” cyanoaurate(I)-based polymers of the form M[Au(CN)2]2(H2O)xwith unusual magnetic and vapochromic properties (M=Cu-Mn) will be profiled. The use of luminescent Zn[Au(CN)2]2as an ammonia sensor and methods to prepare thin-films of this insoluble material will be discussed. As a comparison with the linear [Au(CN)2]–unit, coordination polymers with the square-planar d8[Au(CN)4]– and [Au(CN)2X2]– (X= halides) building blocks and their rare reductive elimination properties will also be described.
Refs: Chem. Soc. Rev., 2008, 37, 1884; J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2008, 130, 10662; Inorg. Chem., 2010, 49, 9609; Dalton Trans., 2011, 40, 4140.