R3PAuCN complexes:: [{Ph2(cyclohexyl)P}AuCN] and [{(m-tolyl)3P}AuCN]

Linear complexes of cyanogold with cyclohexyldiphenylphosphine(cyano(cyclohexyldiphenyl gold(I), [Au(CN)(C18H21P)]} and tri(m-tolyl)phosphine {cyano[tri(m-tolyl)phosphine]gold(I), [AU(CN)(C21H21- P)]) were synthesized and their crystal structures were compared with those of similar complexes. Irrespective of the differences in the anions (CN- versus Cl-) or in the steric and electronic requirements of the various phosphines, the Au-C and Au-P distances are similar in all the compared AuCN complexes. The CN- ligand in each of the two complexes reported here is tilted with respect to the P-Au-C axis, with the Au-C-N angle deviating by about 7.0(1)degrees from linearity.