Recoverable and Sensitive Pressure-Induced Mechanochromic Photoluminescence of a Au-P Complex.

A binuclear Au-P complex Au(2-bdppmapy) () was synthesised by the reaction of 2-bdppmapy (N,N'-bis-(diphenylphosphanylmethyl-2-aminopyridine) with AuCN and [Cu(MeCN)]PF. The solid phase of emitted bright yellow phosphorescence at = 580 nm under UV excitation (QY = 4.41%, τ = 1.88 μs), which shifted to green ( = 551 nm, QY = 5.73%) after being pressurised under 5 MPa. This colour change was recoverable upon exposure to CHCl vapor. Similar mechanochromic photoluminescence behaviour was observed after grinding the crystals of . A filter paper impregnated with demonstrated recyclable write/erase functionality for encrypted information transfer.