This dissertation deals with two major topics that involve spectroscopic studies of (a) divalent group 10 metals and (b) silver(I)-phosphine complexes. The scope of the work involved the delineation of the electronic structure of these complexes in different environments and their use in electronic devices. The first topic is a look at the luminescence of tetrahedral silver(I)-phosphine complexes. Broad unstructured emissions with large Stokes shifts were found for these complexes. Computational analysis of the singlet and triplet state geometries suggests that this emission is due to a Jahn-Teller type distortion. The second topic represents the major thrust of this research, which is an investigation into the electronic structure of M(diimine)X2 (M= Pt(II), Pd(II), or Ni(II); X = dichloro, or dithiolate ligands) complexes and their interactions with an electron acceptor or Lewis acid. Chapter 3 assesses the use of some of these complexes in dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs); it is shown that these complexes may lead to a viable alternative to the more expensive ruthenium-based dyes that are being implemented now. Chapter 4 is an investigation into donor/acceptor pairs involving this class of complexes, which serves as a feasibility test for the use of these complexes in organic photo-voltaics (OPVs) …

Calculations were performed on transition-metal complexes to (1) extrapolate the structure and bonding of the ground and phosphorescent states (2) determine the luminescence energies and (3) assist in difficult assignment of luminescent transitions. In the [Pt(SCN)4]2- complex, calculations determined that the major excited-state distortion is derived from a b2g bending mode rather than from the a1g symmetric stretching mode previously reported in the literature. Tuning of excimer formation was explained in the [Au(SCN)2]22- by interactions with the counterion. Weak bonding interactions and luminescent transitions were explained by calculation of Hg dimers, excimers and exciplexes formed with noble gases.