The first example of a two-coordinated Au(I) atom bonded to an Fe(II) atom and an N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligand.

Abstract

The aurophilicity exhibited by Au(I) complexes depends strongly on the nature of the supporting ligands present and the length of the Au-element (Au-E) bond may be used as a measure of the donor-acceptor properties of the coordinated ligands. A binuclear iron-gold complex, [1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene-2κC(2)]dicarbonyl-1κ(2)C-(1η(5)-cyclopentadienyl)gold(I)iron(II)(Au-Fe) benzene trisolvate, [AuFe(C5H5)(C27H36N2)(CO)2]·3C6H6, was prepared by reaction of K[CpFe(CO)2] (Cp is cyclopentadienyl) with (NHC)AuCl [NHC = 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene]. In addition to the binuclear complex, the asymmetric unit contains three benzene solvent molecules. This is the first example of a two-coordinated Au atom bonded to an Fe and a C atom of an N-heterocyclic carbene.