The first example of a two‐coordinated AuI atom bonded to an FeII atom and an N‐heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligand

The aurophilicity exhibited by Au^I complexes depends strongly on the nature of the supporting ligands present and the length of the Au–element (Au—E) bond may be used as a measure of the donor–acceptor properties of the coordinated ligands. A binuclear iron–gold complex, 1,3‐bis(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)imidazol‐2‐ylidene‐2κC²]dicarbonyl‐1κ²C‐(1η⁵‐cyclopentadienyl)gold(I)iron(II)(Au—Fe) benzene trisolvate, AuFe(C₅H₅)(C₂₇H₃₆N₂)(CO)₂]·3C₆H₆, was prepared by reaction of KCpFe(CO)₂] (Cp is cyclopentadienyl) with (NHC)AuCl NHC = 1,3‐bis(2,6‐diisopropylphenyl)imidazol‐2‐ylidene]. In addition to the binuclear complex, the asymmetric unit contains three benzene solvent molecules. This is the first example of a two‐coordinated Au atom bonded to an Fe and a C atom of an N‐heterocyclic carbene.