Abstract
New Au(III) compounds have been synthesized as attractive starting points for developing Au-based platforms for C-H bond activation in light alkanes. Known [(bipy)AuMe2]+ was obtained by a new route from [(bipy)AuCl2] and SnMe4, while others were synthesized via salt methathesis reactions between in situ [Me2AuCl]2 and the corresponding Li salt of the appropriate ligand. Two compounds were synthesized by trapping the dimers [Me2AuCl]2 and [PhAuCl2]2 with the diimine ArN=C(Me)C(Me)=NAr and bipy, respectively. All compounds have been completely characterized by NMR spectroscopy, MS, EA, and X-ray crystallography. Modelling studies conducted thus far on these starting systems strongly suggest that low-energy pathways for C-H activation processes are available after abstraction of one Me group. While analogous PtMe2 compounds lose methane via protonation with a strong acid such as HOTf (OTf = OSO2CF3), initial studies thus far indicate similar reactivity is not operative for 1 and 2. This presentation will provide the latest results of these synthetic and C-H activation studies. Where applicable, results from computational modelling studies will be used to support the observed experimental data.
