Silver(I) and gold(I) complexes of diethylmalonate

Complexes of diethylmalonate, a common building block in organic synthesis, with gold(I) and silver(I) have been investigated. Both metal cations coordinate between the two carbonyl-oxygen atoms of diethylmalonate. The gold(I) complex should also bear diethylmalonate in the enol-form in the gas phase, while the diketo form is preferred in the condensed phase. The IRMPD spectrum shows that the diketo form is retained upon electrospray ionization also in the gaseous diethylmalonate complex with Au(PMe3)+. The diethylmalonate complex with a bare silver cation undergoes an association with a water molecule in the gas phase. Spectra of the bare complex and the water-tagged complex are compared.

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► Complexes of diethylmalonate with silver(I) and gold(I) cations were investigated using IRMPD spectroscopy.
► Effect of water-tagging of the silver complex is investigated.
► The diketo-form of the diethylmalonate complex with Au(PMe3)+ preferred in the solution is also exclusively detected in the gas phase, although the enol-form should be also populated.