Alternative synthesis of binuclear gold(II) ylide complexes: cationic gold(II) complexes. X-Ray crystal structures of [{Au(CH2)2PPh2}2Br2] and [{Au(CH2)2PPh2}2(PPh3)2][CLO4]2

The complex [{Au(CH2)2PPh2}2Cl2] reacts with silver salts AgX to give the corresponding gold(II) derivatives [{Au(CH2)2PPh2}2X2] (X = C6F5, C6H2F3-2,4,6, NO3 or MeCO2), whilst reaction with suitable silver complexes [AgX'(L)] [X' = ClO4, L = tetrahydrothiophene (tht) or PPh3; X' = NO3, L = PMe3] gives cationic gold(II) derivatives [{Au(CH2)2PPh2}2L2]X'2, which either undergo metathetical reactions with MX [X = Br, SCN or S2CN(CH2Ph)2] to give other neutral complexes inaccessible by the first procedure or react with neutral ligands L' to afford other cationic complexes [L' = pyridine (py), AsPh3 or SbPh3]. The structures of [{Au(CH2)2PPh2}2Br2] and [{Au(CH2)2PPh2}2(PPh3)2][ClO4]2 have been established by single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies.