A family of luminescent coordination compounds: iridium(III) polyimine complexes

30 years of Ir-III coordination chemistry with polyimine-type ligands are s ummarized. Over the years, milder reaction conditions have been used for th eir synthesis, allowing the incorporation of various functional substituent s. Complexes are described with bidentate and terdentate ligands, with both N- and C-donor sites. All complexes are luminescent, with predominantly ch arge-transfer or ligand-centred emissive states depending on the charge den sity donated from the ligands to the metal. Ir-III excited state lifetimes range from nanoseconds to microseconds. A wide range of properties are obta ined: [IrN6](3+) complexes are strong photooxidants while tris-cyclometalla ted [IrN3C3] complexes are strong photoreductants.