1,2,4-Triphospholyl gold(I) and copper(I) complexes: synthesis, crystal and molecular structures of [Cu(PMe3)2(μ-P3C2tBu2)(μ-I)Cu(PMe3)2], [Cu(PMe3)2(μ-P3C2tBu2)2Cu(PMe3)2] and [Au(η1-P3C2tBu2)2][Au(PEt3)2]

Treatment of K(P3C2tBu2) with Cu2I2 and PMe3 gave the binuclear complex [Cu(PMe3)2(μ-P3C2tBu2)2Cu(PMe3)2] via the isolated intermediate compound [Cu(PMe3)2(μ-P3C2tBu2)(μ-I)Cu(PMe3)2]. The reaction of K(P3C2tBu2) with [AuCl(PEt3)] on the otherhand gave the cation:anion complex [Au(PEt3)2][Au(η1-P3C2tBu2)2]. All complexes were fully characterised by multinuclear spectroscopy and single crystal X-ray diffraction studies.