metrical counterparts and follow the same pattern of structure
and bonding.
{Ph2P[SAu(PMe3)]2}؉BF4؊ 2. The synthesis was analogous to
that of 1 with Ph2PH (23 mg, 0.14 mmol), S8 (9 mg, 0.04 mmol),
Ϫ
Attempts to accomplish polyauration of diorganodithio-
phosphinate anions with more powerful aurating agents like the
NaBF4 (100 mg, 0.91 mmol) and {[(Me3P)Au]3O}ϩBF4 (85
mg, 0.14 mmol) to give 54 mg (44%) of 2. The compound is air
stable and soluble in dichloromethane and chloroform, but
insoluble in pentane and diethyl ether. Crystals could be
obtained from dichloromethane solution by layering with pen-
tane, m.p. 153 ЊC (decomp.) (Found: C, 23.30; H, 3.30; S, 6.56.
C19H30Au2BCl2F4P3S2 requires C, 23.30; H, 3.09; S, 6.55%).
NMR (CDCl3): 1H, δ 7.53–8.12 (m, 10 H, Ph), 1.67 [d, J(HP) 11
Hz, 18 H, CH3]; 31P-{1H}, δ 72.7 (s, 1 P, Ph2P), Ϫ3.5 (s, 2 P,
Me3PAu); 13C-{1H}, δ 132.5 (s), 128.8 [d, J(CP) 13], 130.8 [d,
J(CP) 12] (para-, meta-, ortho-C of Ph2P), ipso C atoms were
not observed with certainty, 16.0 [d, J(CP) 39 Hz, AuPMe3].
FAB mass spectrum: m/z 795 (100%, [M]ϩ).
Ϫ
oxonium reagents {[(RЈ3P)Au]3O}ϩBF4 are only successful
with the phenyl compound [Ph2PS2]Ϫ [equation (1)]. The result-
ing dinuclear compound (RЈ = Ph 1) has the two gold atoms
attached to the two different sulfur atoms, but there are close
contacts between these gold centers which clearly stabilize the
overall arrangement of the cation {Ph2P[SAu(PRЈ3)]2}ϩ (Fig.
1). The cations show weak intermolecular interactions via dis-
tant Au ؒ ؒ ؒ S contacts. The analogous reaction of trigold–
oxonium salts with dimethylphosphinate as a nucleophile leads
to P᎐S cleavage and gives trigold–sulfonium salts of the type
{[(RЈ3P)Au]3S}ϩBF4Ϫ. The electronic effects of methyl and
phenyl groups at phosphorus are thus sufficiently different to
induce a quite different course of the auration reaction.
The trimethylsilyl diester of phenyltrithiophosphonic acid
was found to undergo triauration with the oxonium reagent
[equation (2)], but the product (4) is a very unstable species
which undergoes rapid decomposition both in solution and as a
solid. On the basis of the low-temperature 31P NMR spectrum
the compound is assigned a mirror-symmetrical structure in
solution where two of the three sulfur atoms are bridging the
three gold atoms in a symmetrical array, but this proposal is as
yet only tentative.
؊
{Ph2P[SAu{P(o-Tol)3}]2}؉BF4 3. The synthesis was analo-
gous to that of 1 with Ph2PH (43 mg, 0.23 mmol), S8 (15 mg,
0.06 mmol), NaBF4 (100 mg, 0.91 mmol) and {[{(o-Tol)3P}-
Au]3O}ϩBF4Ϫ (249 mg, 0.16 mmol) to give 120 mg (39%) of 3.
The compound is air stable and soluble in dichloromethane and
chloroform, but insoluble in pentane and diethyl ether. Yellow
crystals could be obtained from dichloromethane solution by
layering with diethyl ether, m.p. 171 ЊC (decomp.) (Found: C,
46.13; H, 3.86; S, 3.98. C55H54Au2BCl2F4P3S2 requires C, 46.40;
1
H, 3.82; S, 4.50%). NMR (CDCl3): H, δ 6.84–7.91 (m, 34 H,
aryl H), 2.30 (s, 18 H, Me); 31P-{1H}, δ 67.6 (s, 1 P, Ph2P), 14.0
[s, 2 P, (o-Tol)3PAu]. FAB mass spectrum: m/z 1251 (100, [M]ϩ),
947 (30, [M Ϫ {P(o-Tol)3}]ϩ), 750 (9%, [M Ϫ AuP(o-Tol)3]ϩ).
Experimental
General
؊
{PhP[SAu(PPh3)]3}؉BF4 4. To a solution of PhP(S)(S-
All experiments were carried out under an atmosphere of dry,
purified nitrogen. Glassware was dried and filled with nitrogen,
solvents were distilled and kept under nitrogen; NMR: JEOL-
GX 270 (109.4 MHz), SiMe4 as internal standard, phosphoric
acid as external standard; mass spectrometer: Finnigan MAT
90; microanalyses: in-house analyzers (by combustion tech-
niques). Starting materials were either commercially available
or were prepared following literature procedures: {[(Ph3P)-
SiMe3)2 (58 mg, 0.17 mmol) in dichloromethane (10 ml) were
Ϫ
added {[(Ph3P)Au]3O}ϩBF4 (245 mg, 0.17 mmol) in dichloro-
methane (10 ml) and NaBF4 (100 mg, 0.91 mmol) at Ϫ30 ЊC.
After stirring for 2 h the solution was filtered. Evaporation of
the solvent from the filtrate in vacuo to leave a volume of ca. 5
ml and addition of pentane led to the precipitation of complex
4 as a white solid. The solid compound is stable at Ϫ40 ЊC, but
is unstable in solution. NMR (CDCl3): 1H (Ϫ20 ЊC) δ 7.07–7.32
(m, Ph); 31P-{1H} (Ϫ20 ЊC) δ 86.9 (s, 1 P, PhP), 37.2 (s, 3 P,
AuPPh3); (Ϫ60 ЊC) δ 86.7 (s, 1 P, PhP), 37.4 (s, 1 P, AuPPh3),
36.7 (s, 2 P, AuPPh3). FAB mass spectrum: m/z 1581 (4%, [M]ϩ).
Au]3O}ϩBF4
,
{[(Me3P)Au]3O}ϩBF4
,
{[{(o-Tol)3P}Au]3-
Ϫ 27
Ϫ 28
O}ϩBF4
,
Ph2P(S)SH,24 (Me2S)AuCl,30 (Ph3P)AuCl,31
Ϫ 29
(Me3P)AuCl,28 {(o-Tol)3P}AuCl,32 Me2P(S)SNa,33 PhP(S)-
(SSiMe3)2.34
Me2P(S)SAu(PMe3) 5. To a solution of Me2P(S)SNa (48 mg,
0.32 mmol) in thf (10 ml) was slowly added (Me3P)AuCl (99
mg, 0.32 mmol) dissolved in thf (10 ml). After stirring for 1 h
the solvent was removed in vacuo and the white precipitate was
extracted with dichloromethane (10 ml). Addition of pentane
to the filtrate led to the precipitation of 120 mg (94%) of 5 as a
white solid. The compound is air stable and stable in solution,
soluble in dichloromethane and chloroform, but insoluble in
pentane and diethyl ether. Crystals could be obtained from
dichloromethane solution by layering with pentane, m.p. 169 ЊC
(decomp.) (Found: C, 15.03; H, 3.81; S, 15.94. C5H15AuP2S2
requires C, 15.08; H, 3.80; S, 16.10%). NMR (CDCl3): 1H,
δ 2.13 [d, J(HP) 13, 6 H, P(S)Me2], 1.60 [d, J(HP) 11 Hz, 9 H,
AuPMe3]; 31P-{1H}, δ 60.8 [s, 1 P, Me2P(S)], Ϫ4.2 (s, 1 P,
Me3PAu); 13C-{1H}, δ 33.0 [d, J(CP) 54, Me2P(S)], 15.9 [d,
J(CP) 37 Hz, Me3PAu]. FAB mass spectrum: m/z 398 (66%,
[M]ϩ).
Syntheses
{Ph2P[SAu(PPh3)]2}؉BF4؊ 1. To a solution of S8 (13 mg,
0.053 mmol) in toluene (5 ml) was added Ph2PH (39 mg, 0.21
mmol) dissolved in toluene (5 ml). After stirring for 6 h at
80 ЊC the solvent was removed in vacuo. The remaining green
oil was dissolved in dichloromethane (10 ml) and added at
0 ЊC to a solution of {[(Ph3P)Au]3O}ϩBF4 (209 mg, 0.14
Ϫ
mmol) in dichloromethane (10 ml). After addition of NaBF4
(100 mg, 0.91 mmol) and stirring for 2 h the solution was
filtered. Evaporation of the solvent from the filtrate in vacuo
to leave a volume of ca. 5 ml and addition of diethyl ether
led to the precipitation of a colourless 1:1 mixture of com-
plex 1 and {[(Ph3P)Au]3S}ϩBF4Ϫ. Crystals suitable for X-ray
studies of complex 1 could be obtained from dichloro-
methane solution by layering with diethyl ether (yield 104 mg,
40%), m.p. 161 ЊC (decomp.) (Found: C, 46.12; H, 3.19; S,
4.94. C48H40Au2BF4P3S2 requires C, 45.95; H, 3.21; S,
5.11%). NMR (CDCl3): 1H, δ 7.41–7.89 (m, Ph); 31P-{1H}
(room temperature) δ 70.8 (s, 1 P, Ph2P), 37.1 (s, 2 P,
Ph3PAu); (Ϫ60 ЊC) δ 70.7 [t, J(PP) 10, 1 P, Ph2P], 36.4 [d,
J(PP) 10, 2 P, Ph3PAu]; 13C-{1H}, δ 132.8 (s), 129.0 [d, J(CP)
13], 130.8 [d, J(CP) 12] (para-, meta-, ortho-C of Ph2P), 132.5
[d, J(CP) 3], 129.5 [d, J(CP) 12], 133.9 [d, J(CP) 14 Hz]
(para-, meta-, ortho-C of Ph3PAu), ipso C atoms were not
observed with certainty. FAB mass spectrum: m/z 1168 (28,
[M ϩ 1]ϩ), 905 (22%, [M Ϫ PPh3]ϩ).
Me2P(S)SAu(PPh3) 6. The synthesis was analogous to that
of 5 with Me2P(S)SNa (35 mg, 0.24 mmol) and (Ph3P)AuCl
(117 mg, 0.24 mmol) to give 134 mg (97%) of 6. Crystals could
be obtained from dichloromethane solution by layering with
pentane, m.p. 186 ЊC (decomp.) (Found: C, 42.01; H, 3.91.
C20H21AuP2S2 requires C, 41.10; H, 3.62%). NMR (CDCl3): 1H,
δ 7.15–7.73 (m, 15 H, Ph), 2.14 [d, J(HP) 13 Hz, 6 H, Me]; 31P-
{1H}, δ 57.2 [s, 1 P, Me2P(S)], 35.8 (s, 1 P, Ph3PAu). FAB mass
spectrum: m/z 584 (37%, [M]ϩ).
4756
J. Chem. Soc., Dalton Trans., 1997, Pages 4753–4758