A tri(gold)boride of the formula B[AuP(o-Tol)3]3 (2) is generated in the reaction of the silylated phosphine borane Cy3PBH2SiMe3 with the tri(gold)oxonium tetrafluoroborate [(o-Tol)3PAu]3O+ BF4 - and isolated as its stable 1 : 1 complex with tricyclohexylphosphine: Cy3PB[AuP(o-Tol)3]3. The composition of the product has been confirmed by elemental analyses and mass spectrometry. Solution NMR data of 2 indicate a molecular structure with C3ν symmetry which has been confirmed by MP2 calculations for the model system H3PB(AuPH3)3. The compound is a rare case of a trimetallated boride which is isolobal with the simple phosphineborane Cy3PBH3. With reagents bearing less bulky substituents (R3 = iPr3, MePh2, Ph3), the reactions proceed to salts with the tetra-aurated cations [Cy3PB(AuPR3)4]+
, with (-100 degrees C) a = 9.187(4) Angstrom., b = 12.149(3) Angstrom, c 17.680(6) Angstrom, alpha = 99.58(2)degrees, beta = 102.86(2)degrees, gamma = 111.63(2)degrees, V = 1720(1) Angstrom(3), and Z = 1. Crystals of 3a from CH2Cl2/toluene are trigonal, P3(1)21, with a = 11.8878(4) Angstrom, c = 29.3193(15) Angstrom, V = 3588.3(3) Angstrom(3), and Z = 3. The structure of the cationic portion of 1 shows a planar (COD)Pt(mu-O)(2)Pt(COD) unit with slightly out-of-plane LAu+ groups linearly coordinated to the oxo Ligands. The structure of the cationic portion of 3a is similar and shows a slightly folded (COD)Pt(mu-O)(2)Pt(COD) unit with out-of-plane [(COD)PtCl](+) groups coordinated to the ore ligands. Solutions of 3 in untreated CH2Cl2 or CD2Cl2 deposit crystals of [(1,5-COD)(4)Pt-4(mu(3)-O)(2)(mu(2)-OH)](BF4)(3) (4) which are monoclinic, P2(1)/n, with a = 18.624(4) Angstrom, b = 14.760(2) Angstrom, c = 15.584(5) Angstrom, beta = 95.538(12)degrees, V = 4264(2) Angstrom(3), and Z = 4. The core structure of the cationic portion of 4 shows a tetranuclear platinum cation in which the metal atoms occupy the corners of a distorted tetrahedron and two mu(3)-oxo ligands and one mu(2)-hydroxo ligand bridge the four platinum atoms. Reaction of 1 (L = PPh3) with PPh3 gives OPPh3 and [(Ph3P)(3)PtAuPPh3]BF4 (5) which is also obtained from (Ph3P)(4)Pt and Ph3PAuBF4. Crystals of 5 from THF are monoclinic, P2(1)/c, with a = 20.426(6) Angstrom, b = 13.4980(11) Angstrom, 24.703(9) Angstrom, beta = 97.166(15)degrees, V = 6758(3) Angstrom(3), and Z = 4. The structure of 5 consists of an L3Pt-AuL cation where the Au atom is linear 2-coordinate and the Pt atom is distorted square-planar 4-coordinate.