Au(I) and Cu(I) complexes have been shown to have interesting luminescence, bonding and redox properties that render them promising for electronic devices and photocatalyst. Au(I) complexes with "spectroscopically-silent" alkyl-phosphine ligands have been shown to display giant spin-orbit splitting, comparable to that in the Au(I) atomic cation. Heavier halide counterions effect colossal spin-orbit splitting such that multiple distinct visible colors are exhibited sue to the microstate splitting of the same "triplet". On the other hand, Au(I) and Cu(I) complexes that contain a bridging ligand have been shown to exhibit ground state dative bonding, similar to that previously seen with Au(I) and Pt(II) complexes but also more famously seen for Au(I) Tl(I) systems. Finally, cyclic trinuclear Au(I) and Cu(I) azolate complexes with greater π basicity exhibit more favorable oxidative addition, suggesting the electrons to form the metal halide bond originate from the metal. All of these properties and the associated bonding phenomena are being studied both computationally and experimentally.