An asymmetric Pt diimine acetylide complex providing unique luminescent multinuclear sandwich complexes with Cu salts.

The formation and photophysical properties of two types of sandwich complexes supported by asymmetric Pt complex units having two different acetylide moieties are reported. The asymmetric Pt complex unit was obtained via acetylide metathesis reaction between two types of symmetric Pt complexes. The reversible acetylide exchange reaction was effectively suppressed by the incorporation of Cu ions to give unique chiral Pt 4 Cu 3 and achiral Pt 2 Cu 4 Br 4 sandwich complexes. The sandwich complexes exhibited moderate photoluminescence in the solid state, and their photophysical properties depended on the sandwich structures. These results suggest that asymmetric Pt complex units can give remarkable assembled structures by the concerted effect of labile coordination bonds and weak noncovalent interactions.