Decanuclear Gold(I) Sulfido Pseudopolymorphs Displaying Stimuli-Responsive RGBY Luminescence Changes

Decanuclear gold(I) sulfido clusters, [Au10{μ-Ph2PN(R)PPh2}4(μ3-S)4](PF6)2], with propeller-shaped structures were obtained using bridging bis(diphenylphosphino)amine with alkylpyridine pendant groups (R = −CH2Py, −CH2CH2Py). The cluster, [Au10{μ-Ph2PN(CH2–o-Py)PPh2}4(μ3-S)4](PF6)2, was found to crystallize in three different pseudopolymorphs with emission colors varying from blue to green to red. Unprecedented mechanochromic, solvatochromic, thermochromic, and acidochromic properties were also observed with RGBY emission colors. From the X-ray crystal structures and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) analysis, the luminescence changes were attributed to the transition between different pseudopolymorphs upon external stimulus.