A cationic gold-fluorenyl complex with a dative Au → C + bond: synthesis, structure, and carbophilic reactivity.

Aiming to study the interaction of gold with the highly Lewis acidic fluorenyl cation, we synthesised ( o -[Ph 2 P(C 6 H 4 )Flu)AuCl(tht)][BF 4 ] ([2][BF 4 ]) and ( o -Ph 2 P(C 6 H 4 )Flu)AuCl 2 (3) (Flu = 9-fluorenyl) and found that the latter could be converted into [( o -Ph 2 P(C 6 H 4 )Flu)AuCl] + ([4] + ) upon treatment with NaBArF 24 (BArF 24 = B(3,5-C 6 H 3 (CF 3 ) 2 ) 4 ). [4] + , which has been isolated as a chloride-bridged dimer, readily catalyses the cycloisomerisation of 2-allyl-2-(2-propynyl)malonate. Computational results show that [4] + possesses a strong Au → C + bond and readily activates enynes.