Microsecond Photoluminescence and Photoreactivity of a Metal-Centered Excited State in a Hexacarbene-Co(III) Complex

The photofunctionality of the cobalt-hexacarbene complex [Co(III)(PhB(MeIm)3)2]+ (PhB(MeIm)3 = tris(3-methylimidazolin-2-ylidene)(phenyl)borate) has been investigated by time-resolved optical spectroscopy. The complex displays a weak (φ ∼10-4) but remarkably long-lived (τ ∼1 μs) orange photoluminescence at 690 nm in solution at room temperature following excitation with wavelengths shorter than 350 nm. The strongly red-shifted emission is assigned from the spectroscopic evidence and quantum chemical calculations as a rare case of luminescence from a metal-centered state in a 3d6 complex. Singlet oxygen quenching supports the assignment of the emitting state as a triplet metal-centered state and underlines its capability of driving excitation energy transfer processes.