Cycloaurated complexes of aryl carbanions: Digold(I), Digold(II) and beyond

Dinuclear gold(I) complexes containing a pair of bridging ligands represent a special class of gold compounds. An important aspect of their chemistry is the ability to undergo oxidative addition reactions to give isolable dinuclear gold(II) complexes, which are the most abundant representatives of gold(II) species. The present review concentrates on a particular class of aryl carbanionic ligand of the type 2-C6R4ER′2 [R = H, F; E = P, As; R′ = alkyl, phenyl] and aims to provide an up-to-date account of the existing literature on the stability and reactivity of their dinuclear gold complexes.

► A brief survey of dinuclear gold(I) compounds of 1,3-bifunctional ligands. ► An up-to-date review of digold(I) complexes of ortho-substituted arylcarbanions of the type 2-C6R4ER′2 (R = H,F; E = P, As; R′ = alkyl, phenyl). ► Oxidation of the digold(I) complexes to digold(II) derivatives and subsequent rearrangements, including C–C coupling, via digold(I,III) intermediates. ► Digold complexes of other carbanions, including naphthalene-1,8-diyl. ► Mössbauer spectra and photophysical properties.