White phosphorus as a ligand for the coinage metals

Reaction of equimolar quantities of MX (M = Au, Cu, X = Cl; M = Ag, X = OTf) and GaCl(3) in CH(2)Cl(2) with P(4) leads to phosphorus ligating a cationic coinage metal centre. For Cu and Ag, ion-contacted coordination polymers are formed; for Au, an ion-separated complex is observed that features the [Au(η(2)-P(4))(2)](+) cation, which is the first homoleptic Au-P(4) complex to be characterised in the condensed phase.