Binuclear Gold(I) and Mercury(II) Derivatives of Diethynylfluorenes

Abstract

A new series of bis(alkynyl) gold(I) and mercury(II) d10 complexes incorporating fluorenyl-based linking units are reported. The binuclear complexes [LAuC⋮CRC⋮CAuL] and their isoelectronic mercury(II) congeners [R‘HgC⋮CRC⋮CHgR‘] (L = tertiary phosphines; R = fluorene-2,7-diyl, dihexylfluorene-2,7-diyl, 9-((ferrocenylphenylene)methylene)fluorene-2,7-diyl, fluoren-9-one-2,7-diyl, 9-(dicyanomethylene)fluorene-2,7-diyl; R‘ = Me, Ph) were prepared in very good yields by the base-catalyzed dehydrohalogenation reaction of the corresponding metal chloride precursors with the appropriate diethynylfluorene derivatives HC⋮CRC⋮CH at room temperature. All the compounds have been fully characterized by FTIR, NMR and electronic absorption spectroscopies and FAB mass spectrometry. The solid-state molecular structures of [Ph3PAuC⋮CRC⋮CAuPPh3] (R = 9,9-dihexylfluorene-2,7-diyl, fluoren-9-one-2,7-diyl) and [MeHgC⋮CRC⋮CHgMe] (R = fluoren-9-one-2,7-diyl) have been determined crystallographically, the last of which represents ...