Alkynyl-functionalized gold NHC complexes and their coinage metal clusters

Phenylpropynyl-functionalized imidazolium salts, as well as their gold complexes, were prepared in excellent yields affording suitable starting materials for metal cluster synthesis. The reactions of these gold complexes with coinage metal phenylacetylides [M(CCPh)]x (M = Cu, Ag) resulted in the formation of novel heterometallic hexanuclear clusters which exhibit mixed metallophillic interactions and intense white photoluminescence at low temperature.