GOLD COMPLEXES WITH SELENIUM LIGANDS .3. CATIONIC GOLD(I) COMPLEXES WITH PHOSPHINE SELENIDE LIGANDS

The cationic gold complexes [(Ph3PSe)2Au]+ (1) and [(Ph3P)Au(SePPh3)]+ (2) are obtained in good yield as their SbF6- salts from the appropriate reaction between LAuCl, AgSbF6 and L'. Attempts to prepare other cationic complexes [L"Au(SePPh3)]+ (where L" is a phosphine other than PPh3) led to some decomposition to metallic gold, and concomitantly poorly characterised or uncharacterised products, but the isolation in low yield of [(Ph3P)Au(SePPhMe2)]+ (3) from a corresponding reaction with Ph3PSe and PhMe2PAuCl demonstrates that selenium is exchanged between phosphines. Complexes 1 and 3 were characterised by X-ray structure determination; complex 2 is severely disordered.