Helically chiral Pd(ii) complexes containing intramolecular PdPd metallophilicity as circularly polarized molecular phosphors.

Carbon-centred chirality of the pincer-type cyclometalated ligands is transferred to the helical chirality of dinuclear and tetranuclear Pd(ii) arylacetylide complexes, and hence phosphorescence with quantum yields up to 50% and dissymmetry factors in the 10 scale from the metal-metal-to-ligand charge-transfer excited states has been recorded in diluted solutions.