Issue 39, 2020

Triple the fun: tris(ferrocenyl)arene-based gold(i) complexes for redox-switchable catalysis

Abstract

The modular syntheses of C3-symmetric tris(ferrocenyl)arene-based tris-phosphanes and their homotrinuclear gold(I) complexes are reported. Choosing the arene core allows fine-tuning of the exact oxidation potentials and thus tailoring of the electrochemical response. The tris[chloridogold(I)] complexes were investigated in the catalytic ring-closing isomerisation of N-(2-propyn-1-yl)benzamide, showing cooperative behaviour vs. a mononuclear chloridogold(I) complex. Adding one, two, or three equivalents of 1,1′-diacetylferrocenium[tetrakis(perfluoro-tert-butoxy)aluminate] as an oxidant during the catalytic reaction (in situ) resulted in a distinct, stepwise influence on the resulting catalytic rates. Isolation of the oxidised species is possible, and using them as (pre-)catalysts (ex situ oxidation) confirmed the activity trend. Proving the intactness of the P–Au–Cl motif during oxidation, the tri-oxidised benzene-based complex has been structurally characterised.

Graphical abstract: Triple the fun: tris(ferrocenyl)arene-based gold(i) complexes for redox-switchable catalysis

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Edge Article
Submitted
30 jún. 2020
Accepted
03 ágú. 2020
First published
03 ágú. 2020
This article is Open Access

All publication charges for this article have been paid for by the Royal Society of Chemistry
Creative Commons BY license

Chem. Sci., 2020,11, 10657-10668

Triple the fun: tris(ferrocenyl)arene-based gold(I) complexes for redox-switchable catalysis

A. Straube, P. Coburger, L. Dütsch and E. Hey-Hawkins, Chem. Sci., 2020, 11, 10657 DOI: 10.1039/D0SC03604H

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported Licence. You can use material from this article in other publications without requesting further permissions from the RSC, provided that the correct acknowledgement is given.

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