Hydrogen cyanide as a ligand towards copper(I) and silver(I) in liquid hydrogen fluoride

Abstract

Silver cyanide dissolves in anhydrous HF to form a stable solution containing mono- and di-hydrogen cyanide complexes of silver(I). These complex cations have been characterised by ¹H n.m.r. and i.r. spectroscopy. Unstable silver complexes of this ligand were isolated but not pure. Solutions of HCN and CuCN in HF have been investigated and found to be unstable; HCN is not protonated in HF but CuCN yields HCNCu⁺. Gold(I) cyanide is insoluble in HF.