A new gold(III)-aminoethyl imidazolium aurate salt: Synthesis, characterization and reactivity

Tetrachloroauric acid HAuCl4 reacts with the ionic liquid 1-(2-aminoethyl)-3-methylimidazolium nitrate [NH2(CH2)2ImMe]NO3, (2b) or its dicationic ammonium salt [NH3(CH2)2ImMe][NO3]2, (3) in methanolic solutions to give the novel gold(III)-aminoethyl imidazolium aurate salt [Cl3AuNH2(CH2)2ImMe][AuCl4] (4). The reaction of 4 with [nBu4]Cl gives [NH2(CH2)2ImMe][AuCl4] (2c) whereas with acetone the dicationic, iminium-functionalized, imidazolium aurate salt [Me2C=N(H)(CH2)2ImMe][AuCl4]2 (5) has been isolated. The structures in the solid state of 2c, 3, 4, and 5 have been determined by X-ray diffraction. The electrochemical behaviour of 4 has been examined by Cyclic voltammetry in acetonitrile and compared with 2c and KAuCl4.

Graphical abstractHAuCl4 reacts with the ionic liquid 1-(2-aminoethyl)-3-methylimidazolium nitrate [NH2(CH2)2ImMe]NO3, or its dicationic ammonium salt [NH3(CH2)2ImMe][NO3]2 to afford the novel gold(III)-aminoethyl imidazolium aurate salt [Cl3AuNH2(CH2)2ImMe][AuCl4]. The latter reacts with [nBu4]Cl to give [NH2(CH2)2ImMe][AuCl4] whereas with acetone the dicationic [Me2C = N(H)(CH2)2ImMe][AuCl4]2 has been isolated. The structures in the solid state have been determined by X-ray diffraction whereas the electrochemical behaviour has been examined by Cyclic voltammetry.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide