Synthesis, photophysics, and electrochemistry of luminescent binuclear rhenium(I) complexes containing mu-bridging thiolates. X-ray crystal structure of [{Re(bpy)(CO)(3)}(2)(mu-SC6H4-CH3-p)]OTf

A series of binuclear Re(I) thiolato complexes [(Re(L-L)(CO)(3)}(2)(mu-SC6H4-X-p)]OTf [L-L = phen, X = CH3 (1), OCH3 (2), C(CH3)(3) (3), Cl (4), F (5); L-L = bpy, X = CH3 (6); L-L = 5,5'-Me-2-bpy, X = CH3 (7)] have been synthesized and their photophysical and electrochemical properties studied. The X-ray crystal structure of 6 has also been determined. The complexes have been shown to exhibit long-lived luminescence both in the solid state and in fluid solutions at room temperature. The emission has been assigned as being derived from a (MLCT)-M-3 origin.