Luminescent earth-abundant complexes

The joint collaboration between HKU and CAS focused on developing luminescent metal complexes using earth-abundant metals, addressing the limitations posed by noble metals like iridium, ruthenium, and platinum in practical applications. By synthesising luminescent complexes based on tungsten(VI), copper(I), and iron(II), they aimed to investigate their excited state properties through spectroscopic measurements and theoretical calculations and explored their potential applications in photocatalysis and material science. To enhance light emission at room temperature, the team designed ligands with strong field strength and high structural rigidity, reducing non-radiative decay and excited state distortion. Additionally, carbon-donor ligands to form stable metal-carbon bonds were incorporated, which improved the robustness of the complexes. Ultimately, the research aimed to increase accessibility and efficiency of luminescent materials, expanding their applications in renewable energy and advanced technologies.