A Novel Anionic Gold-Indium Cluster Compound: Synthesis and Molecular and Electronic Structure

The insertion of InBr into the Au-Br bond of [(Ph(3)P)AuBr] in tetrahydrofuran (thf) in the presence of [(CH(2)PPh(2))(2)] (dppe) leads to the formation of an orange complex [(dppe)(2)Au](+)[(dppe)(2)Au(3)In(3)Br(7)(thf)](-), 2. Analytical, spectroscopic, and X-ray structural investigations showed that this product is an anionic analogue of a neutral chloride complex [(dppe)(2)Au(3)In(3)Cl(6)(thf)(3)], 1, prepared recently. Both complexes have an Au(3)In(3) cluster core of approximate C(2)(v)() symmetry with one extremely short Au-Au bond [Au1-Au3 2.575(1) Å] as part of a quasi-linear array P1-Au1-Au3-P4, suggesting the presence of a bis(phosphine) complex of the neutral Au(2) molecule as part of the cluster. The third gold atom (Au2) is then assigned oxidation state +1. To gain deeper insight into the structure and bonding of this novel class of gold cluster compounds, regarding mainly the peculiar cluster geometry, the charge distribution, and the oxidation states, a series of scalar relativistic all-electron density functional (DF) calculations on model systems has been performed. As a model for 1, the neutral cluster {Au(3)(PH(3))(4)[InCl(2)(H(2)O)](3)} was studied. For the examination of the geometry of complexes 1 and 2, the cluster Au(3)(PH(3))(4)I(3) has been considered as a further simplified model, where iodine replaces the InX(2)(thf) units. Experimental and calculated cluster geometries agree satisfactorily, and the formal oxidation states of the gold atoms (0 for Au1 and Au3, +1 for Au2) could be confirmed, but for the In centers no interpretable differences of the Mulliken charges were found.