Synthesis and Catalytic Use of Gold(I) Complexes Containing a Hemilabile Phosphanylferrocene Nitrile Donor

Removal of the chloride ligand from [AuCl( 1 ‐κP)] ( 2 ) containing a P‐monodentate 1′‐(diphenylphosphanyl)‐1‐cyanoferrocene ligand ( 1 ), by using silver(I) salts affords cationic complexes of the type [Au( 1 )]X, which exist either as cyclic dimers [Au( 1 )]₂X₂ ( 3 a , X=SbF₆; 3 c , X=NTf₂) or linear coordination polymers [Au( 1 )]_nX_n ( 3 a′ , X=SbF₆; 3 b′ , X=ClO₄), depending on anion X and the isolation procedure. As demonstrated for 3 a′ , the polymers can be readily cleaved by the addition of donors, such as Cl^?, tetrahydrothiophene (tht) or 1 , giving rise to the parent compound 2 , [Au(tht)( 1 ‐κP)][SbF₆] ( 5 a ) or [Au( 1 ‐κP)₂][SbF₆] ( 4 a ), respectively, of which the last two compounds can also be prepared by stepwise replacement of tht in [Au( 1 ‐κP)₂][SbF₆]. The particular combination of a firmly coordinated (phosphane) and a dissociable (nitrile) donor moieties renders complexes 3/3′ attractive for catalysis because they can serve as shelf‐stable precursors of coordinatively unsaturated Au^I fragments, analogous to those that result from the widely used [Au(PR₃)(RCN)]X catalysts. The catalytic properties of the Au‐ 1 complexes were evaluated in model annulation reactions, such as the synthesis of 2,3‐dimethylfuran from (Z)‐3‐methylpent‐2‐en‐4‐yn‐1‐ol and oxidative cyclisation of alkynes with nitriles to produce 2,5‐disubstituted 1,3‐oxazoles. Of the compounds tested ( 2 , 3 a′ , 3 b′ , 3 a , 4 a and 5 a ), the best results were consistently achieved with dimer 3 c , which has good solubility in organic solvents and only one firmly bound donor at the gold atom. This compound was advantageously used in the key steps of annuloline and rosefuran syntheses.     

Synthesis and Structure of a Hexameric Silver and Tetrameric Gold Aminopyridinates

4‐Methyl‐2‐((trimethylsilyl)amino)pyridine (Ap^TMSH) was synthesized via a salt metathesis reaction. Lithiation of Ap^TMSH with n‐BuLi afforded the transmetallation agent [(Ap^TMS)₂Li₂(OEt₂)₂] ( 1 ) which was structurally characterized. Reaction of 1 with AgCl and [AuCl(tht)] (tht = tetrahydrothiophene) at low temperatures in THF yielded homoleptic aminopyridinates of the heavier group 11 metals, namely [(Ap^TMS)₆Ag₆] ( 2 ) and [(Ap^TMS)₄Au₄] ( 3a and b ) after work‐up in hexane. All compounds were characterized by X‐ray crystal structure analysis. The quality of the structure determination of 3a allows establishing the connectivity only. The lithium complex 1 shows the expected structure from analogous compounds. The hexameric silver compound shows a new structural motif for silver aminopyridinates. The six‐membered ring of silver atoms has a chair conformation. Compounds 3a and b are the first homoleptic gold aminopyridinates and exhibit a rhombic arrangement of the four gold atoms.     

Luminescent Di‐ and Polynuclear Organometallic Gold(I)–Metal (Au2, {Au2Ag}n and {Au2Cu}n) Compounds Containing Bidentate Phosphanes as Active Antimicrobial Agents

The reaction of new dinuclear gold(I) organometallic complexes containing mesityl ligands and bridging bidentate phosphanes [Au₂(mes)₂(μ‐LL)] (LL=dppe: 1,2‐bis(diphenylphosphano)ethane 1 a , and water‐soluble dppy: 1,2‐bis(di‐3‐pyridylphosphano)ethane 1 b ) with Ag⁺ and Cu⁺ lead to the formation of a family of heterometallic clusters with mesityl bridging ligands of the general formula [Au₂M(μ‐mes)₂(μ‐LL)][A] (M=Ag, A=ClO₄^?, LL=dppe 2 a , dppy 2 b ; M=Ag, A=SO₃CF₃^?, LL=dppe 3 a , dppy 3 b ; M=Cu, A=PF₆^?, LL=dppe 4 a , dppy 4 b ). The new compounds were characterized by different spectroscopic techniques and mass spectrometry The crystal structures of [Au₂(mes)₂(μ‐dppy)] ( 1 b ) and [Au₂Ag(μ‐mes)₂(μ‐dppe)][SO₃CF₃] ( 3 a ) were determined by a single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction study. 3 a in solid state is not a cyclic trinuclear Au₂Ag derivative but it gives an open polymeric structure instead, with the {Au₂(μ‐dppe)} fragments “linked” by {Ag(μ‐mes)₂} units. The very short distances of 2.7559(6) Å (Au? Ag) and 2.9229(8) Å (Au? Au) are indicative of gold–silver (metallophilic) and aurophilic interactions. A systematic study of their luminescence properties revealed that all compounds are brightly luminescent in solid state, at room temperature (RT) and at 77 K, or in frozen DMSO solutions with lifetimes in the microsecond range and probably due to the self‐aggregation of [Au₂M(μ‐mes)₂(μ‐LL)]⁺ units (M=Ag or Cu; LL=dppe or dppy) into an extended chain structure, through Au? Au and/or Au? M metallophilic interactions, as that observed for 3 a . In solid state the heterometallic Au₂M complexes with dppe ( 2 a – 4 a ) show a shift of emission maxima (from ca. 430 to the range of 520‐540 nm) as compared to the parent dinuclear organometallic product 1 a while the complexes with dppy ( 2 b–4 b ) display a more moderate shift (505 for 1 b to a max of 563 nm for 4 b ). More importantly, compound [Au₂Ag(μ‐mes)₂(μ‐dppy)]ClO₄ ( 2 b ) resulted luminescent in diluted DMSO solution at room temperature. Previously reported compound [Au₂Cl₂(μ‐LL)] (LL dppy 5 b ) was also studied for comparative purposes. The antimicrobial activity of 1–5 and Ag[A] (A=ClO₄^?, SO₃CF₃^?) against Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria and yeast was evaluated. Most tested compounds displayed moderate to high antibacterial activity while heteronuclear Au₂M derivatives with dppe ( 2 a – 4 a ) were the more active (minimum inhibitory concentration 10 to 1 μg mL^?1). Compounds containing silver were ten times more active to Gram‐negative bacteria than the parent dinuclear compound 1 a or silver salts. Au₂Ag compounds with dppy ( 2 b , 3 b ) were also potent against fungi.     

The 3[ndσ*(n+1)pσ] Emissions of Linear Silver(I) and Gold(I) Chains with Bridging Phosphine Ligands

The complexes [Au₃(dcmp)₂][X]₃ {dcmp=bis(dicyclohexylphosphinomethyl)cyclohexylphosphine; X=Cl^? ( 1 ), ClO₄^? ( 2 ), OTf^? ( 3 ), PF₆^? ( 4 ), SCN^?( 5 )}, [Ag₃(dcmp)₂][ClO₄]₃ ( 6 ), and [Ag₃(dcmp)₂Cl₂][ClO₄] ( 7 ) were prepared and their structures were determined by X‐ray crystallography. Complexes 2 – 4 display a high‐energy emission band with λ_max at 442–452 nm, whereas 1 and 5 display a low‐energy emission with λ_max at 558–634 nm in both solid state and in dichloromethane at 298 K. The former is assigned to the ³[5dσ*6pσ] excited state of [Au₃(dcmp)₂]³⁺, whereas the latter is attributed to an exciplex formed between the ³[5dσ*6pσ] excited state of [Au₃(dcmp)₂]³⁺ and the counterions. In solid state, complex [Ag₃(dcmp)₂][ClO₄]₃ ( 6 ) displays an intense emission band at 375 nm with a Stokes shift of ≈7200 cm^?1 from the ¹[4dσ*→5pσ] absorption band at 295 nm. The 375 nm emission band is assigned to the emission directly from the ³[4dσ^*5pσ] excited state of 6 . Density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed that the absorption and emission energies are inversely proportional to the number of metal ions (n) in polynuclear Au^I and Ag^I linear chain complexes without close metal???anion contacts. The emission energies are extrapolated to be 715 and 446 nm for the infinite linear Au^I and Ag^I chains, respectively, at metal???metal distances of about 2.93–3.02 Å. A QM/MM calculation on the model [Au₃(dcmp)₂Cl₂]⁺ system, with Au???Cl contacts of 2.90–3.10 Å, gave optimized Au???Au distances of 2.99–3.11 Å in its lowest triplet excited state and the emission energies were calculated to be at approximately 600–690 nm, which are assigned to a three‐coordinate Au^I site with its spectroscopic properties affected by Au^I???Au^I interactions.     

Chemisorption of Exchange‐Coupled [Ni2L(dppba)]+ Complexes on Gold by Using Ambidentate 4‐(Diphenylphosphino)benzoate Co‐Ligands

A new strategy for the fixation of redox‐active dinickel(II) complexes with high‐spin ground states to gold surfaces was developed. The dinickel(II) complex [Ni₂L(Cl)]ClO₄ ( 1 ClO₄), in which L^2? represents a 24‐membered macrocyclic hexaaza‐dithiophenolate ligand, reacts with ambidentate 4‐(diphenylphosphino)benzoate (dppba) to form the carboxylato‐bridged complex [Ni₂L(dppba)]⁺, which can be isolated as an air‐stable perchlorate [Ni₂L(dppba)]ClO₄ ( 2 ClO₄) or tetraphenylborate [Ni₂L(dppba)]BPh₄ ( 2 BPh₄) salt. The auration of 2 ClO₄ was probed on a molecular level, by reaction with AuCl, which leads to the monoaurated Ni^II₂Au^I complex [Ni^II₂L(dppba)Au^ICl]ClO₄ ( 3 ClO₄). Metathesis of 3 ClO₄ with NaBPh₄ produces [Ni^II₂L(dppba)Au^IPh]BPh₄ ( 4 BPh₄), in which the Cl^? is replaced by a Ph^? group. The complexes were fully characterized by ESI mass spectrometry, IR and UV/Vis spectroscopy, X‐ray crystallography ( 2 BPh₄ and 4 BPh₄), cyclic voltammetry, SQUID magnetometry and HF‐ESR spectroscopy. Temperature‐dependent magnetic susceptibility measurements reveal a ferromagnetic coupling J=+15.9 and +17.9 cm^?1 between the two Ni^II ions in 2 ClO₄ and 4 BPh₄ (H=?2 JS₁S₂). HF‐ESR measurements yield a negative axial magnetic anisotropy (D<0), which implies a bistable (easy axis) magnetic ground state. The binding of the [Ni₂L(dppba)]ClO₄ complex to gold was ascertained by four complementary surface analytical methods: contact angle measurements, atomic‐force microscopy, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and spectroscopic ellipsometry. The results indicate that the complexes are attached to the Au surface through coordinative Au? P bonds in a monolayer.     

[Au(C6F5)3(PPh2H)]: A Precursor for the Synthesis of Gold(III) Phosphide Complexes

The covalent radius of Au ^I is about 0.07 Å smaller than that of Ag^I. This was determined from the crystal structures of the isostructural complexes [N(PPh₃)][{Au(C₆F₅)₃(μ-PPh₂)}₂M] (M=Au (structure shown in the picture), Ag). These mixed Au^III–M phosphides were synthesized from [Au(C₆F₅)₃(PPh₂H)], the first gold complex to contain a secondary phosphane.     

Zinc(II) Complexes with 1H‐Imidazol‐4‐yl‐Containing Polyamine Ligand

The protonation and Zn^II/Cu^II complexation constants of tripodal polyamine ligand N¹‐(2‐aminoethyl)‐N¹‐(1H‐imidazol‐4‐ylmethyl)‐ethane‐1,2‐diamine (HL) were determined by potentiometric titration. Three new compounds, i.e. [H₃(HL)](ClO₄)₃ ( 5 ), [Zn(HL)Cl](ClO₄) ( 6 ) and {[Zn(L)](ClO₄)}_n ( 7 ) were obtained by reactions of HL · 4HCl with Zn(ClO₄)₂ · 6H₂O under different reaction pH, and they were compared with the corresponding Cu^II complexes reported previously. The results indicate that the reaction pH and metal ions have remarkable influence on the formation and structure of the complexes.     

An Alternative Preparation of 1-(N,N-Dimethylaminomethyl)-1′-(diphenylphosphanyl)ferrocene: Synthesis and Structural Characterization of AuI and PdII Complexes with this Hybrid Ligand

1-(N,N-Dimethylaminomethyl)-1′-(diphenylphosphanyl)ferrocene (1) was synthesized in good yield by lithiation of 1-bromo-1′-(diphenylphosphanyl)ferrocene and subsequent reaction with Eschenmoser''s salt (dimethylmethylideneammonium iodide). Making use of an easily accessible, nontoxic starting material, this procedure represents a convenient alternative to the original synthetic protocol based on stepwise lithiation/functionalization of 1,1′-bis(tributylstannyl)ferrocene and reductive amination [M. E. Wright, Organometallics 1990, 9, 853–856]. Compound 1 has typical hybrid-donor properties. When reacted with [AuCl(tht)] (tht=tetrahydrothiophene), it afforded the expected Au^I phosphane complex [AuCl(1-κP)] (2). An attempted removal of the chloride ligand from 2 with AgClO₄ produced an ill-defined material formulated as Au(1)ClO₄. The uncoordinated amine substituent reacted with traces of hydrogen chloride formed by slow decomposition typically occurring in solution. In this manner, complexes [AuCl(Ph₂PfcCH₂NHMe₂)]Cl (3, fc=ferrocene-1,1′-diyl) and [AuCl(Ph₂PfcCH₂NHMe₂)]ClO₄ (4) were isolated from crystallizations experiments with 2 and Au(1)ClO₄, respectively. On a larger scale, complex 3 was prepared easily from 2 and hydrogen chloride. The course of reactions between [PdCl₂(cod)] (cod=cycloocta-1,5-diene) and 1 were found to depend on the ligand-to-metal ratio. Whereas the reaction with two equivalents of 1 afforded bis(phosphane) complex trans-[PdCl₂(1-κP)₂] (5), that of a Pd:P ratio 1:1 produced ligand-bridged dimer [(μ-1)PdCl₂]₂ (6). With hydrogen chloride, complex 6 reacted to afford zwitterionic complex [PdCl₃(1H-κP)] (7), which was also formed when ligand 1 and [PdCl₂(cod)] were allowed to react slowly by liquid-phase diffusion of their chloroform solutions. The compounds were characterized by spectroscopic methods (multinuclear NMR and ESI–MS), and the molecular structures of complex 2–4, 6⋅2CHCl₃ and 7⋅1.5CHCl₃ were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis.     

Metallkomplexe mit N2O2S2‐Koordinationssphäre. Synthese und Charakterisierung der Cobalt(II)‐, Nickel(II)‐ und Kupfer(II)‐Komplexe eines 15‐ und eines 16‐gliedrigen N,N′‐bis(2‐hydroxyethyl)‐funktionalisierten makrocyclischen Liganden

Metal Complexes with N₂O₂S₂ Donor Set. Synthesis and Characterization of the Cobalt(II), Nickel(II), and Copper(II) Complexes of a 15‐ and a 16‐Membered Bis(2‐hydroxyethyl) Pendant Macrocyclic Ligand The macrocyclic ligands 6, 10‐bis(2‐hydroxyethyl)‐7, 8, 9, 11, 17, 18‐hexahydro‐dibenzo‐[e, n][1, 4, 8, 12]‐dithiadiaza‐cyclopentadecine ( 1 ) (L¹) and 5, 13‐bis(2‐hydroxyethyl)‐7, 8, 9, 10, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20‐nonahydro‐dibenzo‐[g, o][1, 9, 5, 13]‐dithiadiaza‐cyclohexadecine (L⁴) have been prepared. They form the stable complexes [CoL¹(‐H)CoL¹](ClO₄)₃ ( 2 ), [NiL¹](ClO₄)₂·MeOH ( 3 ), Λ‐[CuL¹](ClO₄)₂·MeOH ( 4a ) and rac‐[CuL¹](ClO₄)₂·MeOH ( 4b ), [NiL⁴](ClO₄)₂ ( 5 ), and [CuL⁴](ClO₄)₂ ( 6 ). The compounds 1 to 6 have been characterized by standard methods and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. In the complexes 2 to 6 the metal atoms are octahedrally coordinated by the N₂O₂S₂ donor set of the ligands. L¹ and L⁴ are folded herein along the N···M···S‐ and the N···M···N′‐axes, respectively. This results at the metal atom in a all‐cis‐configuration for the complexes of L¹ and a trans‐N₂‐cis‐O₂‐cis‐S₂‐configuration for the complexes of L⁴. The cobalt(II) complex 2 is a dimer, bridged by a rather short hydrogen bridge of 2.402(12)Å length. The copper(II) complexes of L¹ and L⁴ differ with respect to the Jahn‐Teller‐distortion.     

Formation,Expansion, and Interconversion of Metallarings in a Sulfur‐Bridged AuICoIII Coordination System

A novel Au^ICo^III coordination system that is derived from the newly prepared [Co(D ‐nmp)₂]^? ( 1 ^?; D ‐nmp=N‐methyl‐D ‐penicillaminate) and a gold(I) precursor Au^I is reported. Complex 1 ^? acts as a sulfur‐donating metallaligand and reacts with the gold(I) precursor to give [Au₂Co₂(D ‐nmp)₄] ( 2 ), which has an eight‐membered Au^I₂Co^III₂ metallaring. Treatment of 2 with [Au₂(dppe)₂]²⁺ (dppe=1,2‐bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane) leads to the formation of [Au₄Co₂(dppe)₂(D ‐nmp)₄]²⁺ ( 3 ²⁺), which consists of an 18‐membered Au^I₄Co^III₂ metallaring that accommodates a tetrahedral anion (BF₄^?, ClO₄^?, ReO₄^?). In solution, the metallaring structure of 3 ²⁺ is readily interconvertible with the nine‐membered Au^I₂Co^III metallaring structure of [Au₂Co(dppe)(D ‐nmp)₂]⁺ ( 4 ⁺); this process depends on external factors, such as solvent, concentration, and nature of the counteranion. These results reveal the lability of the Au? S and Au? P bonds, which is essential for metallaring expansion and contraction.     

Formation,Expansion, and Interconversion of Metallarings in a Sulfur‐Bridged AuICoIII Coordination System

A novel Au^ICo^III coordination system that is derived from the newly prepared [Co(D ‐nmp)₂]⁻ ( 1 ⁻; D ‐nmp=N‐methyl‐D ‐penicillaminate) and a gold(I) precursor Au^I is reported. Complex 1 ⁻ acts as a sulfur‐donating metallaligand and reacts with the gold(I) precursor to give [Au₂Co₂(D ‐nmp)₄] ( 2 ), which has an eight‐membered Au^I₂Co^III₂ metallaring. Treatment of 2 with [Au₂(dppe)₂]²⁺ (dppe=1,2‐bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane) leads to the formation of [Au₄Co₂(dppe)₂(D ‐nmp)₄]²⁺ ( 3 ²⁺), which consists of an 18‐membered Au^I₄Co^III₂ metallaring that accommodates a tetrahedral anion (BF₄⁻, ClO₄⁻, ReO₄⁻). In solution, the metallaring structure of 3 ²⁺ is readily interconvertible with the nine‐membered Au^I₂Co^III metallaring structure of [Au₂Co(dppe)(D ‐nmp)₂]⁺ ( 4 ⁺); this process depends on external factors, such as solvent, concentration, and nature of the counteranion. These results reveal the lability of the Au S and Au P bonds, which is essential for metallaring expansion and contraction.     

Synthesis,structural characterization,and photophysical studies of hexanuclear gold(I) chalcogenido complexes

A hexanuclear gold(I) selenido cluster and its sulfido counterpart, [Au₆{μ‐Ph₂PN(CH₂‐o‐Py)PPh₂}₃(μ₃‐E)₂](ClO₄)₂ (E = S, Se), with bridging bis(diphenylphosphino)amine ligands were synthesized and characterized. The X‐ray crystal structure of the selenido cluster was determined, with the gold core possessing a distorted heterocubane structure. Intramolecular aurophilic interactions with short Au(I)?Au(I) contacts of around 3.09–3.13 Å were observed. The complexes were found to emit strongly in the solid state with orange to red emission colors. Their electronic absorption and emission properties were also investigated.     

Two thiourea‐containing gold(I) complexes

The crystal structures of two salts of bis­(thio­urea)­gold(I) complexes, namely bis­(thio­urea‐κS)­gold(I) chloride, [Au(CH₄N₂S)₂]Cl, (I), and bis­[bis­(thio­urea‐κS)­gold(I)] sulfate, [Au(CH₄N₂S)₂]₂SO₄, (II), have been determined. The chloride salt, (I), is isomorphous with the corresponding bromide salt, although there are differences in the bonding. The Au^I ion is located on an inversion centre and coordinated by two symmetry‐related thio­urea ligands through the lone pairs on their S atoms [Au—S 2.278 (2) Å and Au—S—C 105.3 (2)°]. The sulfate salt, (II), crystallizes with four independent [Au(CH₄N₂S)₂]⁺ cations per asymmetric unit, all with nearly linear S—Au—S bonding. The cations in (II) have similar conformations to that found for (I). The Au—S distances range from 2.276 (3) to 2.287 (3) Å and the Au—S—C angles from 173.5 (1) to 177.7 (1)°. These data are relevant in interpreting different electrochemical processes where gold–thio­urea species are formed.     

Alkynyl‐Protected Au23 Nanocluster: A 12‐Electron System

A 23‐gold‐atom nanocluster was prepared by NaBH₄‐mediated reduction of a solution of PhC?CAu and Ph₃PAuSbF₆ in CH₂Cl₂. The cluster composition was determined to be [Au₂₃(PhC?C)₉(Ph₃P)₆]²⁺ and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction revealed that the cluster has an unprecedented Au₁₇ kernel protected by three PhC₂‐Au‐C₂(Ph)‐Au‐C₂Ph motifs and six Ph₃P groups. The Au₁₇ core can be viewed as the fusion of two Au₁₀ units sharing a Au₃ triangle. Electronic structure analysis from DFT calculations suggests that the stability of this unusual 12‐electron cluster is a result of the splitting of the superatomic 1D orbitals under D_3h symmetry of the Au₁₇ kernel. The discovery and determination of the structure of the Au₂₃ cluster demonstrates the versatility of the alkynyl ligand in leading to the formation of new cluster compounds.     

A square‐planar hydrated cationic tetrakis(methimazole)gold(III) complex

The cationic pseudo‐square‐planar complex tetrakis(1‐methyl‐2,3‐dihydro‐1H‐imidazole‐2‐thione‐κS)gold(III) trichloride sesquihydrate, [Au(C₄H₆N₂S)₄]Cl₃·1.5H₂O, was isolated as dark‐red crystals from the reaction of chloroauric acid trihydrate (HAuCl₄·3H₂O) with four equivalents of methimazole in methanol. The Au^III atoms reside at the corners of the unit cell on an inversion center and are bound by the S atoms of four methimazole ligands in a planar arrangement, with S—Au—S bond angles of approximately 90°.     

Heterodinuclear Ruthenium(II) Complexes of the Bridging Ligand 1,6,7,12‐Tetraazaperylene with Iron(II), Cobalt(II), Nickel(II), as well as Palladium(II) and Platinum(II)

The first heterodinuclear ruthenium(II) complexes of the 1,6,7,12‐tetraazaperylene (tape) bridging ligand with iron(II), cobalt(II), and nickel(II) were synthesized and characterized. The metal coordination sphere in this complexes is filled by the tetradentate N,N′‐dimethyl‐2,11‐diaza[3.3](2,6)‐pyridinophane (L‐N₄Me₂) ligand, yielding complexes of the general formula [(L‐N₄Me₂)Ru(µ‐tape)M(L‐N₄Me₂)](ClO₄)₂(PF₆)₂ with M = Fe {[ 2 ](ClO₄)₂(PF₆)₂}, Co {[ 3 ](ClO₄)₂(PF₆)₂}, and Ni {[ 4 ](ClO₄)₂(PF₆)₂}. Furthermore, the heterodinuclear tape ruthenium(II) complexes with palladium(II)‐ and platinum(II)‐dichloride [(bpy)₂Ru(μ‐tape)PdCl₂](PF₆)₂ {[ 5 ](PF₆)₂} and [(dmbpy)₂Ru(μ‐tape)PtCl₂](PF₆)₂ {[ 6 ](PF₆)₂}, respectively were also prepared. The molecular structures of the complex cations [ 2 ]⁴⁺ and [ 4 ]⁴⁺ were discussed on the basis of the X‐ray structures of [ 2 ](ClO₄)₄ · MeCN and [ 4 ](ClO₄)₄ · MeCN. The electrochemical behavior and the UV/Vis absorption spectra of the heterodinuclear tape ruthenium(II) complexes were explored and compared with the data of the analogous mono‐ and homodinuclear ruthenium(II) complexes of the tape bridging ligand.     

Gold(I) and Gold(III) Trifluoromethyl Derivatives

Trifluoromethylation of AuCl₃ by using the Me₃SiCF₃/CsF system in THF and in the presence of [PPh₄]Br proceeds with partial reduction, yielding a mixture of [PPh₄][Au^I(CF₃)₂] ( 1′ ) and [PPh₄][Au^III(CF₃)₄] ( 2′ ) that can be adequately separated. An efficient method for the high‐yield synthesis of 1′ is also described. The molecular geometries of the homoleptic anions [Au^I(CF₃)₂]^? and [Au^III(CF₃)₄]^? in their salts 1′ and [NBu₄][Au^III(CF₃)₄] ( 2 ) have been established by X‐ray diffraction methods. Compound 1′ oxidatively adds halogens, X₂, furnishing [PPh₄][Au^III(CF₃)₂X₂] (X=Cl ( 3 ), Br ( 4 ), I ( 5 )), which are assigned a trans stereochemistry. Attempts to activate C? F bonds in the gold(III) derivative 2′ by reaction with Lewis acids under different conditions either failed or only gave complex mixtures. On the other hand, treatment of the gold(I) derivative 1′ with BF₃?OEt₂ under mild conditions cleanly afforded the carbonyl derivative [Au^I(CF₃)(CO)] ( 6 ), which can be isolated as an extremely moisture‐sensitive light yellow crystalline solid. In the solid state, each linear F₃C‐Au‐CO molecule weakly interacts with three symmetry‐related neighbors yielding an extended 3D network of aurophilic interactions (Au???Au=345.9(1) pm). The high $\tilde \nu $ _CO value (2194 cm^?1 in the solid state and 2180 cm^?1 in CH₂Cl₂ solution) denotes that CO is acting as a mainly σ‐donor ligand and confirms the role of the CF₃ group as an electron‐withdrawing ligand in organometallic chemistry. Compound 6 can be considered as a convenient synthon of the “Au^I(CF₃)” fragment, as it reacts with a number of neutral ligands L, giving rise to the corresponding [Au^I(CF₃)(L)] compounds (L=CNtBu ( 7 ), NCMe ( 8 ), py ( 9 ), tht ( 10 )).     

[μ‐4,5‐Bis(diphenylphosphino)‐9,9‐dimethylxanthene]bis[(trifluoroacetato)gold(I)] and its dichloromethane 0.58‐solvate

The dinuclear Au^I complex containing the 4,5‐bis(diphenylphosphino)‐9,9‐dimethylxanthene (xantphos) ligand and trifluoroacetate anions exists in a solvent‐free form, [μ‐4,5‐bis(diphenylphosphino)‐9,9‐dimethylxanthene]bis[(trifluoroacetato)gold(I)], [Au₂(C₂F₃O₂)₂(C₃₉H₃₂OP₂)], (I), and as a dichloromethane solvate, [Au₂(C₂F₃O₂)₂(C₃₉H₃₂OP₂)]·0.58CH₂Cl₂, (II). The trifluoroacetate anions are coordinated to the Au^I centres bridged by the xantphos ligand in both compounds. The Au^I atoms are in distorted linear coordination environments in both compounds. The phosphine substituents are in a syn arrangement in the xantphos ligand, which facilitates the formation of short aurophilic Au...Au interactions of 2.8966 (8) Å in (I) and 2.9439 (6) Å in (II).     

Synthesis and 197Au-Mössbauer spectroscopic studies of dihalo(pentafluorophenyl)(bidentate ligand)gold(III) complexes

Addition of a bidentate ligand (LL = 1,10-phenanthroline, o-phenylenebis(dimethylarsine)) to solutions of Au(C₆F₅)X₂(tht) (X = Cl, Br; tht = tetrahydrothiophene) leads to potentially five-coordinate gold(III) derivatives. ¹⁹⁷Au Mössbauer spectroscopy points, however, to four-coordinate square-planar complexes with a weak penta-coordination in the phen-containing derivatives. The complexes react with AgClO₄ to give four-coordinate cationic complexes of the types [Au(C₅F₅)X(LL)]ClO₄ or [Au(C₆F₅)(PPh₃)(LL)](ClO₄)₂.     

2‐Amino‐5‐(2‐pyridyl)‐thiadiazole as Bidentate Ligand

The amino substituted bidentate chelating ligand 2‐amino‐5‐(2‐pyridyl)‐1,3,4‐thiadiazole (H₂ L ) was used to prepare 3:1‐type coordination compounds of iron(II), cobalt(II) and nickel(II). In the iron(II) perchlorate complex [Fe^II(H₂ L )₃](ClO₄)₂·0.6MeOH·0.9H₂O a 1:1 mixture of mer and fac isomers is present whereas [Fe^II(H₂ L )₃](BF₄)₂·MeOH·H₂O, [Co^II(H₂ L )₃](ClO₄)₂·2H₂O and [Ni^II(H₂ L )₃](ClO₄)₂·MeOH·H₂O feature merely mer derivatives. Moessbauer spectroscopy and variable temperature magnetic measurements revealed the [Fe^II(H₂ L )₃]²⁺ complex core to exist in the low‐spin state, whereas the [Co^II(H₂ L )₃]²⁺ complex core resides in its high‐spin state, even at very low temperatures.