New Cu-I cluster compounds with luminescent properties

Sammanfattning: The aim of this thesis has been to investigate how the synthesis route, choice of solvent and counter-ions effects the crystallization of Cu(I)I systems, and to investigate the correlation between the structure and luminescence properties of the systems.In order to do so a series of compounds based on an anion containing Cu(I)I, stabilized by organic cations have been produced. The crystal structures have been determined by single crystal X-ray crystallography. The luminescence properties have been quantified by laser confocal microscopy or by fluorescence spectrophotometry. We have also performed quantum mechanical calculations (Time Dependent Density Functional Theory (TDDFT)) to increase the understanding of the luminescence properties of the title system. Incorporation of tetraalkylammonium with different chain-size showed that the size of the counter-ion matters, where small counter-ion give rise to formation of infinite chains and large and bulky counter-ion tends to form discrete anion. However, the effect of incorporation of different phosphonium based cations was not as consistent, hence the conclusion must be that the size of the cation matters only sometimes. Two different synthesis routes have been employed during this study, the solvolysis method and the hydrothermal method. The latter method showed to be very efficient for this system. Hydrothermal conditions do, however, tend to give rise to the formation of the thermodynamically most stable product and the combination of the two approaches is beneficial for a wider scan of the phase space.