SYNTHESIS, STRUCTURE, AND REACTIVITY OF THE ANIONIC TRINUCLEAR METHANIDE NBU(4)[(AU(C6F5)(3)(PPH(2)CHPPH(2)))(2)AU]

The reaction of [Au(tht)(2)]CLO(4) or NBu(4)[Au(acac)(2)] with 2 equiv of [Au(C6F5)(3)PPh(2)CH(2)PPh(2)] affords the cationic [{Au(C6F5)(3)PPh(2)CH(2)PPh(2)}Au-2]ClO4 (1) or anionic complex NBu(4)[{Au(C6F5)(3)PPh(2)CHPPh(2)}Au-2] (2), respectively, in high yield, The methanide complex 2 can displace tetrahydrothiophene from [AuX(tht)] to give the pentanuclear NBu(4)[{AU(C6F6)(3)PPh(2)CH(AuX)PPh(2)}Au-2] (X = Cl, C6F5). The heptanuclear [{Au(C6F5)(3)PPh(2)C(AuPPh(3))(2)PPh(2)}Au-2]ClO4 is obtained by reaction of 1 with [Au(acac)PPh(3)] (molar ratio 1:4), The structure of 2 has been determined by a single-crystal X-ray diffraction study, It crystallizes in the space group P (1) over bar with a = 14.213(4) Angstrom, b = 16.067(4) Angstrom, c = 23.840(6) Angstrom, alpha = 88.60(2)degrees, beta = 89.27(2)degrees, gamma = 71.23(2)degrees, Z = 2, and T = -100 degrees C, It does not display gold-gold interactions.