Reactivity Studies of Cationic Au(III) Difluorides Supported by N-Ligands

The reactivity of difluoro Au(III) cations supported by pyridine or imidazole ligands is reported. The Au(III)-F bond is found to be susceptible to metathesis by TMS reagents and reagents bearing acidic protons such as H-CC-Ph and HOAc. In the latter case the reactions are slower than analogous reactions reported by other groups where strong -trans donors are present opposite the Au-F bond. This, coupled with the inability to effect metathesis on only one Au-F bond in our system indicates the -trans effect is a key consideration in Au-F chemistry