Design, synthesis, photophysics, and ion-binding studies of a ditopic receptor based on gold(I) phosphine thiolate complex functionalized with crown ether and urea binding units.

A ditopic receptor based on gold(I) phosphine thiolate complex [(B15C5Ph(2)P)Au(SC(6)H(4)NHCONHC(6)H(5))] (1) together with a related crown-free analogue, [(Ph(3)P)Au(SC(6)H(4)NHCONHC(6)H(5))] (2), have been designed and synthesized and their photophysical properties studied. Complex 1 featured both a benzo-15-crown-5 cation-binding unit in the auxiliary phosphine ligand and a urea-functionalized thiolate as an anion receptor moiety. The anion- and cation-binding study, salt extraction ability, as well as the cooperativity have been studied using (1)H NMR and ESI-MS techniques.