Carba-closo-dodecaboranylethynyl ligands facilitating luminescent reversed charge-transfer excited states in gold/silver complexes

A set of mono- and dinuclear AuI and AgI alkynyl complexes bearing the carba-closo-dodecaboranylethynyl ligand show intense room temperature phosphorescence. The {closo-1-CB11} cage participates in an unprecedented way as an electron donating moiety, changing the direction of the charge-transfer excited state.