Ligand Influences on the Supramolecular Chemistry of Simple Gold(I) Complexes: Mononuclear (Isonitrile)gold(I) Complexes

Abstract

A series of (isonitrile)gold(I) complexes has been synthesized: (MeNC)AuX (X = Cl 1a, 1 1c), (t-BuNC)AuBr 2b, (PhNC)AuX (X = Cl 3a, Br 3b, 1 3c, SCN 3d), (MesNC)AuCl 4a [mes=mesityl], and (MeOC(O)CH2NC)AuX (X = Cl 5a, Br 5b, I 5c, SCN 5d). The chlorides were prepared by the reaction of (Me2S)AuCl with equimolur amounts (or with an excess) of the corresponding isonitrile. The bromides, iodides and thiocyanates were obtained from the reaction of (RNC)AuCl with K+K- (X = Br, I, SCN) in the two-phase system H2O/CH2Cl2. The molecular and crystal structures of 1a, 2b, 3a-c, 4a, and 5a-c have been determined by X-ray diffraction methods. In the solid state the molecules are aggregated through short Au-Au contacts into dimers (4a and 5c), chains (1a, 2b and 3a-c) or sheets (5a and 5b). The influence of the isonitrile and halide ligands on the type and strength of the intermolecular Au-Au contacts is discussed.