Structural diversity and photoluminescence of copper(I) carboxylates: From discrete complexes to infinite metal-based wires and helices

• The first overview of structural types exhibited by copper(I) carboxylates is provided.
• Remarkable structural diversity is revealed.
• The role of solid-state structures on photoluminescent behavior is discussed.
• Sensitivity of photoluminescence to subtle structural differences is observed.

Copper(I) carboxylates have rich photoluminescent properties and broad applications in catalysis, microelectronics, and bioinorganic chemistry. They also exhibit a remarkable structural diversity ranging from discrete complexes to infinite networks based on mono-, di-, tetra-, or hexanuclear copper(I) cores, including unique double-helical arrangements. These structural variations should have important implications on physical and chemical behavior of the resulting crystalline solids, but no structural analysis or structure–property correlations have been established for this family. This work provides the first overview of the types of structures exhibited by crystallographically characterized copper(I) carboxylates having no exogenous ligands, opening pathways for a better understanding of their properties and further advancement of their practical applications.

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