Homo and heterometallic gold(I) clusters with hypercoordinated carbon

Gold clusters have attracted great interest for a long time, and homo and heterometallic gold clusters with hypercoordinated carbon are particularly interesting. This is due to their novel structures and intriguing physicochemical properties. In this review, recent results concerning homo and heterometallic gold(I) cluster compounds with hypercoordinated carbon are summarized, with emphasis on the rational design of phosphine ligands, synthesis of clusters, structure analysis, photophysical studies and their applications such as light emitters, cellular dyes and chirality sensors. We demonstrate that ligand modification, coordination of secondary metal ions and post-clustering functionalization are useful approaches in the preparation of carbon-centered homo and heterometallic gold clusters. The chemical stability of the cluster is enhanced through the binding between the hypercoordinated carbon and gold atoms. These gold clusters exhibit strong luminescence and are useful in cell imaging and chiral sensing. In addition, combine with ultrafast absorption experiments and quantum chemical calculations, the relationship between structures and properties of carbon-centered homo and heterometallic gold(I) clusters has been revealed.