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 6 2020
Accepted
03 8 2020
First published
03 8 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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