Synthesis, characterisation and photophysical study of alkynylrhenium(I) tricarbonyl diimine complexes and their metal-ion coordination-assisted metallogelation properties

A series of alkynylrhenium(I) tricarbonyl diimine complexes has been synthesized and characterized. A blue shift of the intense low-energy MLCT absorption band in the visible region was observed upon coordination of Cu(I) or Ag(I). This class of complexes has been found to show rich thermotropic gelation behaviour upon Cu(I) or Ag(I) coordination with their morphology characterized by SEM. Their variable-temperature UV/Vis absorption and emission properties have also been studied. A blue shift in the MLCT absorption band and the switching on of luminescence were observed upon sol-gel transition.