Reactivity Studies of Cationic Au(III) Difluorides Supported by N Ligands

The reactivity of difluoro Au­(III) cations supported by pyridine or imidazole ligands is reported. The Au­(III)–F bond is found to be susceptible to metathesis by TMS reagents and reagents bearing acidic protons such as H–CC–Ph and HOAc. In the last case the reactions are slower than analogous reactions reported by other groups, where strong trans donors are present opposite the Au–F bond. This, coupled with the inability to effect metathesis on only one Au–F bond in our system, indicates that the trans effect is a key consideration in Au–F chemistry.