Abstract
Two new cationic dinuclear gold(I) complexes, [Au2{mu(P,N)-5}2]X2, in which X = NTf2 (7; Tf= trifluoromethanesulfonate) or SbF6 (8) and 2-(diphenylphosphanyl) benzonitrile (5) is a P, Nbridging donor, have been synthesized and structurally characterized. These air-stable species and their dimeric and polymeric analogues possessing 1'-(diphenylphosphanyl)-1-cyanoferrocene (1) as the bridging ligand, [Au2{mu(P,N)-1}2](NTf2)2 and [Au{m(P, N)-1}]n[SbF6]n, were used as precatalysts in various Aumediated C-C and C-O bond-forming reactions.
The reactivity of these complexes revealed the hemilabile nature of their P, N ligands. In the series of tested precatalysts, complex 8 exerted particularly high catalytic activity at low Au loading, even in reactions that usually require high amounts of gold catalyst to proceed efficiently under standard reaction conditions.