Bis(diphenylphosphino)methane ligated gold cluster cations: Synthesis and gas-phase unimolecular reactivity

- Bis(diphenylphosphino)methane (dppm) protected Au cluster cations, [AuxL1y]z+, were formed via condensed phase synthesis.
- These and organometallic clusters [AuxL1y(CH(PPh2)2)]n+ (x = 5, y = 3, n = 2; x = 14, y = 6, n = 3) were observed via ESI/MS.
- Their unimolecular chemistry was examined via CID and ECD.
- A range of pathways appear for CID including dppm loss, cluster fragmentation and CP bond activation of dppm.
- The main ECD reaction was charge reduction which was sometimes followed by ligand loss or CP bond activation of dppm.