Copper(i), silver(i) and gold(i) complexes of N-heterocyclic carbene-phosphinidene

Abstract

N-heterocyclic carbene stabilized phosphinidene IMes·PPh has been used as a bridging ligand to isolate a group of closely related molecules involving all three coinage metal ions. The bis-copper(I) chloride, bis-silver(I) chloride and bis-copper(I) bromide adducts of IMes·PPh crystallize as halide ion bridged octanuclear molecules while the [IMes·PPh](AuCl)₂ adduct remains monomeric. These molecules feature long P–C(carbene) bonds in the range 1.822(3)–1.843(4) Å, near the typical P–C single bond length region.