Dissolution of gold in the DMSO—RX systems. The concept of a donor-acceptor electron transport system

Summary The liquid phase oxidation of gold in donor-acceptor organic and aqueous-organic media has been studied. The compounds AuCl(Me₂S)], AuBr(Me₂S)], AuBr₃(Me₂S)], Me₃S]AuBr₄], Me₃S]AuBr₄(Me₂S)]·H₂O, Me₃SO]-AuBr₄]·H₂O, Me₃S]Au₂Br₇(Me₂S)₂]·3H₂O, Me₃S]₂-Au₂Br₈]·2DMSO·H₂O, Me₂(Bu)SO]AuBr₄]·H₂O and Me₃S]Br were isolated by dissolution of Au⁰ in DMSO-RX mixtures (R = H or Bu; X = Cl or Br). The products were characterized by elemental analysis and i.r. spectroscopy. The nature of the Au⁰-DMSO-RX systems and the oxidant species are discussed in terms of a newly-developed concept of donor-acceptor electron transport (DAET) systems.