Gold(I) Triphenylphosphine Complexes Incorporating Pentaarylfulleride Ligands

Two gold(I) complexes, (Ph3P)Au[C60(4-MeC6H4)5] (1) and (Ph3P)Au[C60(4-t-BuC6H4)5] (2), were prepared in excellent yield and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Complex 1, grown from two solvent systems, has different coordination modes of the fullerene-embedded Cp ring to the (PPh3)Au fragment. For 1·(ODCB)2, the cyclopentadienyl ring coordinates to the (Ph3P)Au fragment in an η1 fashion distorted toward η3 geometry, while in 1·(CHCl3)2(CS2), crystal packing forces produce enough distortion to give near η2 coordination.