Neutral, cationic and anionic 2-[(phenylazo)phenyl] complexes of gold(III)

Abstract

[AuCl 3(tht)] (tht = tetrahydrothiophene) reacts with [Hg(Az)Cl] [Az = 2-(phenylazo)phenyl, 2-(C 6H 4N=NC 6H 5)] in the presence of Me 4NCl to give dichloro-2[(phenylazo)phenyl]gold(III), [Au(Az)Cl 2]. By reacting this complex with neutral ligands, complexes of the types [Au(Az)Cl 2L] (L = PPh 3, PCy 3, P( o-MeOC 6H 4) 3, PBu n 3, AsPh 3) and [(Az)Cl 2Au(LL)AuCl 2(Az)] (LL = Ph 2P(CH 2) 2PPh 2, dpe) have been obtained. Starting from [Au(Az)Cl 2-(PCy 3)] it is possible to substitute one or two chlorofor iodo- ligands to give complexes [Au(Az)ClI-(PCy 3] and [Au(Az)I 2(PCy 3)]. Cationic complexes [Au(Az)ClLL′]ClO 4 have been synthesized by reacting [Au(Az)Cl 2] or the corresponding neutral complexes [Au(Az)ClL] with neutral monodentate (L = L′ PPh 3, PCy 3; L = PPh 3, L′ = py, tht; L = PCy 3, L′ = py) or bidentate ligands (LL′ = dpe, phen) and NaClO 4. The reaction of [Au(Az)Cl 2] with BzPh3PCl gives the anionic complex BzPh 3P[Au(Az)Cl 3].