Homo- and Heteropolynuclear Complexes Containing Bidentate Bridging 4-Phosphino-N-Heterocyclic Carbene Ligands.

The abnormal reaction of phosphaalkenes with N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHC) offers a convenient method to introduce new functionality at the backbone of an NHC. The 4-phosphino-substituted NHC (1a) derived from 1,3-dimesitylimidazol-2-ylidene (IMes) and MesP═CPh2 is shown to be an effective bifunctional ligand for Au(I) and Pd(II). Several new complexes are reported: 2a: 1a·AuCCl, 3a: 1a·(AuCl)2, 4a: [(1a)2AuC]Cl, 5a: [(1a·AuPCl)2AuC]Cl], and 6a: 1a·(PdC) (AuPCl). The reaction of 4-phosphino-NHC 1b, derived from 1,3-di(cyclohexyl)imidazol-2-ylidene (ICy) and MesP═C(4-C6H4F)2, with (tht)AuCl (2 equiv, tht = tetrahydrothiophene) affords the fascinating tetranuclear 5b [(1b·AuPCl)2AuC][AuCl2]. The molecular structure of 5b features a close Au···Au contact (3.0988(4) Å) between the bis(carbene)gold(I) cation and the dichloroaurate(I) anion. The buried volumes (%Vbur) and Tolman cone angles for representative 4-phosphino-NHCs calculated from structural data are compared to related carbenes and phosphines. The molecular structures are reported for complexes 3a, 4a, 5b, and 6a.