An N-heterocyclic carbene phenanthroline ligand: synthesis, multi-metal coordination and spectroscopic studies.

Dimetal complexes of a new N-heterocyclic carbene/phenanthroline ligand have been synthesized. Coordination of both ruthenium and rhenium to the phenanthroline moiety in combination with platinum at the carbene moiety are reported. Steady-state and time-resolved optical absorption and photoluminescence spectra were obtained for the complexes. These results illustrate significant changes occur with the incorporation of the second metal, and that the specific metal bound to the phenanthroline moiety is important to the photophysical characteristics of this system.