Directing the Crystal Packing in Triphenylphosphine Gold(I) Thiolates by Ligand Fluorination

Heterometallic AuI 6 AgI 6 Macrocyclic Cluster Templated by a Supramolecular Melamine Dimer

The application of supramolecular templates in aligning atomically precise heterometal arrays is important for pursuing functional materials. Herein, we report that a bilayered supramolecular tri-deprotonated melamine dimer functions as an effective template in the construction of a heterometallic gold(I)-silver(I) macrocyclic cluster [μ6 -(C3 N6 H3 )3- ]2 -AuI 6 AgI 6 . X-ray single crystal structural analysis showed that a crown-like AuI 6 AgI 6 macrocycle is aligned around two parallelly stacked μ6 -(C3 N6 H3 )3- moieties hold together with π-π interactions. Theoretical calculations revealed that the [μ6 -(C3 N6 H3 )3- ]2 motif dominantly contributes to the near-occupied orbitals in the electronic structure, which is closely related to its luminescence properties. This work demonstrates that the supramolecular templates containing multiple symmetric binding sites may present a facile approach in the construction of functional metal clusters.

Signature of Au as a Halogen

Gold, although chemically inert in its bulk state, is reactive at the nanoscale and, in small clusters, even behaves like a hydrogen atom. Using a photoelectron spectroscopy experiment and first-principles theory, we show that Au also behaves like a halogen in small clusters. This is evident not only in strong resemblance between the photoelectron spectra of Au₂F^- and AuF₂^- but also in Au exhibiting one of the signature properties of halogens, its ability to form superhalogens with electron affinities higher than that of any halogen atom. For example, the electron affinity (EA) of Au₂F^- is 4.17 eV, while AuF₂^-, a known superhalogen, has an EA of 4.47 eV. Of particular interest is Au₂F₂, which, in spite of being a closed-shell system, is a pseudohalogen with an EA of 3.3 ± 0.1 eV. Here, one of the Au atoms behaves like a halogen, making Au₂F₂ mimic the property of AuF₃.

Stronger-together: the cooperativity of aurophilic interactions

Crystallographic distances and the electron density of bi- and tri-nuclear gold(I) compounds reveal that the existence of multiple Au⋯Au interactions increases their individual strength in the order of 0.9-2.9 kcal mol^-1. We observed this behaviour both experimentally and theoretically in multinuclear systems, confirming a novel important cooperative character in aurophilic contacts.

The Covalent AuI-AuI Bond in (AuF)n (n = 2∼4): A Perspective to Understand the Closed-Shell AuI···AuI Interaction

The nature of closed-shell Au^I···Au^I attraction is still a conundrum in theoretical chemistry. However, for Au₂F₂ with a zigzag conformation, the d¹⁰-d¹⁰ closed-shell interaction between the AuF monomers is demonstrated as a coordinate covalent bond. Chemical bonding analysis reveals that the strong Au^I···Au^I attraction is caused by the participation of the extraordinary active 5d orbital of Au. Based on our study, one of the 5d orbitals of the Au atom is activated to hybridize with its 6s and 6p orbitals to form hybridized dsp² orbitals, where each Au atom is both an electron donor (Lewis base) and acceptor (Lewis Acid) in dimerization. Actually, the closed-shell Au^I···Au^I interaction in the zigzag conformation of Au₂X₂ (X = F, Cl, Br, I, or NH₂) is covalent. Our results provide a rather simple but clear-cut example, where mysterious Au^I···Au^I attractions can be possibly explained by the covalent bond theory.

Fluorination Effects in XPhos Gold(I) Fluorothiolates

Gold phosphine derivatives such as thiolates have been recently proposed as catalysts or catalyst precursors. The relevance of the supramolecular environment on the fine-tuning of the catalytical activity on these compounds incentivizes the use of tools that are convenient to characterize in detail the non-covalent landscape of the systems. Herein, we show the molecular and supramolecular diversity caused by the changes in the fluorination pattern in a family of new XPhos goldfluorothiolate derivatives. Furthermore, we studied the supramolecular interactions around the Au centers using quantum chemical topology tools, in particular the quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) and the non-covalent interaction index. Our results give detailed insights into the fluorination effects on the strength of intramolecular and intermolecular interactions in these systems. We have also used QTAIM delocalization indexes to define a novel hapticity indicator. Finally, we assessed the trans influence of the fluorothiolates on the phosphine in terms of the change in the δ 31P-NMR. These results show the feasibility of the use of fluorination in the modulation of the electronic properties of Buchwald phosphine gold(I) compounds, and thereby its potential catalytic activity.