Crystal structure of tris-(2-di-cyclo-hexyl-phosphino-2',6'-dimeth-oxy-1,1'-biphenyl-κP)-μ-oxoethenyl-idene-triangulo-trigold(I) bis-(tri-fluoro-methane-sulfon-yl)imide.

The title ketenyl-idene, [Au3(C2O)(C26H35O2P)3](C2F6NO4S2), was obtained upon exposure of [2-(di-cyclo-hexyl-phosphino)-2',6'-dimeth-oxy-1,1'-biphen-yl]gold(I) bis-(tri-fluoro-methane-sulfon-yl)imide to acetic anhydride at elevated temperature. The ketenyl-idene bridge caps the tri-gold cluster. The title compound has provided crystals that upon analysis represent the first tri-gold ketenyl-idene with atomic distances indicative of bonding inter-action between the gold atoms.