Gold(I) tris(mercaptoimidazolyl)borate chemistry: Synthesis and molecular structure of the first trinuclear TmR complex of a transition metal

The first trinuclear transition metal tris(mercaptoimidazolyl)borate complexes, the gold(I) derivatives [Au3(TmtBu)2]X (X = Cl, BF4, PF6, SbF6) have been prepared and fully characterized using a combination of analytical and spectroscopic techniques. The X-ray structure of the hexafluoroantimonate salt confirmed the presence of a novel cationic complex [Au3(TmtBu)2]+ in which a triangular array of three gold atoms is coordinated simultaneously by two TmtBu ligands. The three gold centers exhibit roughly linear coordination and the intermetallic distances suggest the presence of weak aurophilic interactions between them.