The preparation of crystalline [NBu4] [AuCl2] in 85-90% yield by the reduction of [NBu4] [AuCl4] with sodium acetylacetonate is reported together with procedures for the quantitative synthesis of crystalline [NBu4] [AuX4] (X = Cl, Br) through direct oxidation of metallic gold in X2/[NBu4] X/ethanol, and the determination of the crystal structure of [NBu4] [AuCl4].
The reaction of (NBu4)2[Zn(dsit)2] (dsit = 4,5-diselenolate-1,3-dithiole-2-thione) with AuClL in a 1:4 ratio leads to [Au2(dsit)L2] (L = PPh3 (1), PPh2Me (2)), transferring the diselenolate group. Complex 2 reacts further with equimolar amounts of [Au(OClO3)L], affording the trinuclear complex [Au3(dsit)(PPh2Me)3]ClO4 (3). When the reaction of (NBu4)2[Zn(dsit)2] with [Au2Cl2(P-P)] was carried out in a 1:2 ratio, complexes [Au2(dsit)(P-P)]n (P-P = dppe (1,2-bis(diphenylphosphine)ethane), n = 1 (4); P-P = dppm (bis(diphenylphosphine)methane), n = 2 (5)) are obtained. Anionic derivatives such as (NBu4)[Au(dsit)2] (6) could be obtained by reaction of the zinc complex with (NBu4)[AuBr4] in a 1:1 ratio while other gold complexes require a tin complex as ligand transfer. So [Sn(dsit)Me2] (7), obtained from the zinc complex and [SnCl2Me2], reacts with PPN[Au(C6F5)Cl] (PPN = bis(triphenylphosphine)iminium) or [AuBr2(S2CNR2)] affording [Au(dsit)(S2CNR2)] (R = Me (8); R = Bz (9)) or (PPN)2[Au2(dsit)(C6F5)2] (10), respectively. Electrochemical oxidation of 6 gives (NBu4)0.4[Au(dsit)2] (11) and the reaction with (TTF)3(BF4)2 (TTF = tetrathiafulvalene) affords (TTF)[Au(dsit)2] (12). Electrical conductivities of these complexes at room temperature in compacted pellets are 3 × 10-8 (11) and 5 × 10-3 (12) S cm-1.Key words: diselenolate, dsit, gold complexes, tin complexes.