Dragoş-Adrian Roşca

Gold peroxide complexes and the conversion of hydroperoxides into gold hydrides by successive oxygen-transfer reactions

Gold catalysts are widely studied in chemical and electrochemical oxidation processes. Computational modelling has suggested the participation of Au-OO-Au, Au-OOH or Au-OH surface species, attached to gold in various oxidation states. However, no structural information was available as isolable gold peroxo and hydroperoxo compounds were unknown. Here we report the syntheses, structures and reactions of a series of gold(III) peroxides, hydroperoxides and alkylperoxides. The Au-O bond energy in peroxides is weaker than in oxides and hydroxides; however, the Au-OH bond is also weaker than Au-H. Consequently Au-OH compounds are capable of oxygen-transfer generating gold hydrides, a key reaction in a water splitting cycle and an example that gold can react in a way that other metals cannot. For the first time it has become possible to establish a direct connection from peroxides to hydrides: Au-OO-Au→Au-OOH→Au-OH→Au-H, via successive oxygen-transfer events.

A Thermally Stable Gold(III) Hydride: Synthesis, Reactivity, and Reductive Condensation as a Route to Gold(II) Complexes†

Going for gold: The first thermally stable gold(III) hydride [(C N C)*AuH] is presented. It undergoes regioselective insertions with allenes to give gold(III) vinyl complexes, and reductive condensation with [(C N C)*AuOH] to the air-stable Au(II) product, [(C N C)*(2)Au(2)], with a short nonbridged gold-gold bond.

Cyclometallated gold(III) hydroxides as versatile synthons for Au–N, Au–C complexes and luminescent compounds

The gold(III) hydroxide κ(3)-(C^N^C)*Au(OH) reacts with C-H and N-H compounds and arylboronic acids to produce a range of perfluoroaryls, N-heterocyclic and alkynyl compounds in high yields; some of which show unexpectedly strong modulation of their photoluminescence from yellow to blue [(C^N^C)* = 2,6-(C(6)H(3)Bu(t))(2)pyridine].

Gold(III) Olefin Complexes

Zeises salt gets company: 185 years after the report of the well-known platinum(II) ethylene compound, examples of isolable olefin complexes of its isoelectronic neighbor in the periodic table, gold(III), have been prepared (see picture). The complexes are very susceptible towards nucleophilic attack; there is also structural evidence for Au-Ag interactions. Copyright

Reactivity of Gold Hydrides: O2 Insertion into the Au-H Bond.

Dioxygen reacts with the gold(I) hydride (IPr)AuH under insertion to give the hydroperoxide (IPr)AuOOH, a long-postulated reaction in gold catalysis and the first demonstration of O2 activation by Au–H in a well-defined system. Subsequent condensation gave the peroxide (IPr)Au–OO–Au(IPr) (IPr = 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene). The reaction kinetics are reported, as well as the reactivity of Au(I) hydrides with radical scavengers.

Formation of Gold(III) Alkyls from Gold Alkoxide complexes

The gold(III) methoxide complex (C∧N∧C)AuOMe (1) reacts with tris(p-tolyl)phosphine in benzene at room temperature under O abstraction to give the methylgold product (C∧N∧C)AuMe (2) together with O=P(p-tol)3 ((C∧N∧C) = [2,6-(C6H3tBu-4)2pyridine]2–). Calculations show that this reaction is energetically favorable (ΔG = −32.3 kcal mol–1). The side products in this reaction, the Au(II) complex [Au(C∧N∧C)]2 (3) and the phosphorane (p-tol)3P(OMe)2, suggest that at least two reaction pathways may operate, including one involving (C∧N∧C)Au• radicals. Attempts to model the reaction by DFT methods showed that PPh3 can approach 1 to give a near-linear Au–O–P arrangement, without phosphine coordination to gold. The analogous reaction of (C∧N∧C)AuOEt, on the other hand, gives exclusively a mixture of 3 and (p-tol)3P(OEt)2. Whereas the reaction of (C∧N∧C)AuOR (R = But, p-C6H4F) with P(p-tol)3 proceeds over a period of hours, compounds with R = CH2CF3, CH(CF3)2 react almost instantaneously, to give 3 and O=P(p-tol)3. In chlorinated solvents, treatment of the alkoxides (C∧N∧C)AuOR with phosphines generates [(C∧N∧C)Au(PR3)]Cl, via Cl abstraction from the solvent. Attempts to extend the synthesis of gold(III) alkoxides to allyl alcohols were unsuccessful; the reaction of (C∧N∧C)AuOH with an excess of CH2=CHCH2OH in toluene led instead to allyl alcohol isomerization to give a mixture of gold alkyls, (C∧N∧C)AuR′ (R′ = −CH2CH2CHO (10), −CH2CH(CH2OH)OCH2CH=CH2 (11)), while 2-methallyl alcohol affords R′ = CH2CH(Me)CHO (12). The crystal structure of 11 was determined. The formation of Au–C instead of the expected Au–O products is in line with the trend in metal–ligand bond dissociation energies for Au(III): M–H > M–C > M–O.