The coordination and polymerisation of cyclic 1,3-dienes by gold(I) cations

Cyclopentadiene and 1,3-cyclohexadiene are readily polymerised by [LAu][X]. With specific ancillary ligands polymerisation was suppressed and a molecular species involving an Au(I) cation η2-bonding CpH was isolated and whose structure was probed in both the solid state and in solution.