NHC Gold(III) Triflimidate Complexes

Substitution of a trans chloride ligand in the N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) AuIII complexes (NHC)AuCl3 in the presence of AgNTf2 yields a new family of (NHC)AuCl2(NTf2) complexes. They display a moderate stability in solution but are stable once crystallized. These new organogold(III) complexes could be fully characterized by NMR, IR, and single crystal X-ray diffraction. They exhibit in 13C{1H} NMR an unusually upfield-shifted resonance associated with the carbene center.