Poly[(tri-'butyl-phosphine)gold(I)]ammonhim Tetrafluoroborates and Bis(tri-'butyI-phosphine)gold(I) Tetrafluoroborate

Bis(tri-'butyI-phosphine)gold(I) Tetrafluoroborate Alexander Sladek, Hubert Schmidbaur* Anorganisch-Chemisches Institut der Technischen Universität München, Lichtenbergstraße 4, D-85747 Garching Z. Naturforsch. 50b, 859-863 (1995); received November 11, 1994 (Phosphine)gold(I) Complexes, [(Phosphine)gold(I)]ammonium Cations, Auriophilicity, G old-G old Contacts The reaction of tris[(tri-'butyl-phosphine)gold(I)]oxonium tetrafluoroborate with close to stoichiometric quantities of ammonia in dichloromethane at -78 °C affords tetrakis[(tri'butyl-phosphine)gold(I)]ammonium tetrafluoroborate, the structure of which has been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The cation features a strongly distorted NAu4 tetrahedron with four short and two longer A u-A u edges. With a large excess of ammonia, only partially aurated ammonium salts are formed, as suggested by detailed NMR spectro­ scopic and mass spectrometric studies. These partially aurated intermediates have not been isolated. Slow decomposition processes in these solutions lead to the precipitation of bis(tri'butyl-phosphine)gold(I) tetrafluoroborate. The structure of the bis(chloroform) solvate has also been determined. The crystals contain two independent C3-symmetrical cations with similar structures.