Appearance Colorless solid | ||
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Chloro(triphenylphosphine)gold(I) is the coordination complex with the formula (Ph3P)AuCl. This colorless solid is the complex of triphenylphosphine and gold(I) chloride.
Contents
Preparation and structure
The complex is prepared by reducing chloroauric acid with triphenylphosphine in 95% ethanol:
HAuCl4 + H2O + 2 PPh3 → (Ph3P)AuCl + Ph3PO + 3 HClThe complex adopts a linear coordination geometry, which is typical of most gold(I) compounds. It crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group P212121 with a = 12.300(4) Å, b = 13.084(4) Å, c = 10.170(3) Å with Z = 4 formula units per unit cell.
Reactivity
It is a common reagent in gold chemistry. Many related gold complexes (often incorrectly called salts) can be prepared including the trifluoromethanesulfonate and the nitrate.
Triphenylphosphine gold triflate (Ph3PAuOTf) catalyzes certain rearrangement reactions in organic synthesis.