Silyl-substituted thioether ligands and their Ag(I) complexes

Silyl-substituted thioether ligands were prepared that differed in the identity and number of ligating groups attached to silicon and the nature of the alkyl groups on silicon. The ligand syntheses involved deprotonation of a thioether with n-butyllithium followed by reaction with the appropriate chlorosilane. Yields were 45-75% after purification. The majority of the ligands reacted with silver(I) triflate to give stable crystalline products in high yields that could be characterized by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. Depending on the ligand, the structures of the products ranged from discrete complexes to infinite polymeric structures. Apparent argentophilic interactions were commonly observed in the solid-state structures of the complexes (Ag-Ag = 2.909-3.196 A).