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Updated: Jun 24, 2026

Synthesis and Characterization of Amphiphilic Gold Nanoparticles
Published on: July 2, 2019
Syntheses, X-ray crystal structures, and solution behavior of monomeric, cationic, two-coordinate gold(I) pi-alkene
Timothy J Brown1, Marina G Dickens, Ross A Widenhoefer
1French Family Science Center, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708-0346, USA.
Abstract:
Treatment of a suspension of (IPr)AuCl [IPr = 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidine] and AgSbF(6) (1:1) with isobutylene at room temperature for 12 h led to isolation of [(NHC)Au(eta(2)-H(2)C=CMe(2))](+) SbF(6)(-) (1a) in 98% yield, which was characterized by spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. A number of cationic gold pi-alkene complexes were isolated employing a procedure similar to that used to isolate 1a, two of which were analyzed by X-ray crystallography. Spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography, and alkene binding studies were in accord with a gold-(pi-alkene) interaction dominated by sigma-donation from the alkene to gold.
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