Aurophilicity in gold(I) thiosemicarbazone clusters

Dalton Trans. 2012 Jan 28;41(4):1363-72. doi: 10.1039/c1dt11680k. Epub 2011 Nov 24.

Abstract

The reaction of the phosphine thiosemicarbazone ligands HLPH and HLPMe with Au(I) ions yields the gold complexes [Au(3)(HLPH)(2)Cl(2)]Cl·2MeOH (1·2MeOH) and [Au(2)(HLPMe)Cl(2)] (2). The structures determined by X Ray diffraction, [Au(3)(HLPH)(2)Cl(2)]Cl·4MeOH (1·4MeOH) and [Au(2)(HLPMe)Cl(2)](2) (2), are the first examples of gold(I) thiosemicarbazone clusters showing aurophilicity. The structure of the trinuclear cation 1 contains the Au(1) atom located in an inversion centre, being connected to another gold(I) atom, Au(2), through a phosphino thiosemicarbazone molecule which acts as a S,P-bridging ligand. Additionally, every gold(I) atom in the trinuclear cation 1 assembles into trinuclear linear cluster units by means of close gold-gold interactions, being connected through the crystal cell in a 2D zigzag mode. The crystal structure of [Au(2)(HLPMe)Cl(2)](2) (2) contains one discrete molecule [(AuCl)(2)(HLPMe)] in the asymmetric unit, which is further assembled into tetranuclear [(AuCl)(2)(HLPMe)](2) units by means of close gold-gold interactions. Both clusters are highly luminescent in solution.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Absorption
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Gold / chemistry*
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Organometallic Compounds / chemistry*
  • Thiosemicarbazones / chemistry*

Substances

  • Organometallic Compounds
  • Thiosemicarbazones
  • Gold