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Updated: Mar 26, 2026
Synthesis and Catalytic Performance of Gold Intercalated in the Walls of Mesoporous Silica
Published on: July 9, 2015
Stepwise isolation of an unprecedented silylene supported dinuclear gold(i) cation with aurophilic interaction
Shabana Khan1, Shiv Pal, Neha Kathewad
1Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune, Dr. Homi Bhaba Road, Pashan, Pune - 411008, India. shabana@iiserpune.ac.in.
Abstract:
The silylene (PhC(NtBu)2SiN(PPh2)(2,6-iPr2-C6H3)) (2) was prepared from the previously reported (PhC(NtBu)2SiCl) salt elimination method. The reaction of 2 with AuCl(SMe2) afforded [(PhC(NtBu)2SiN(PPh2)(2,6-iPr2-C6H3))AuCl] (3). Note here that only Si(ii) is coordinated to Au(i), while P(iii) remains uncoordinated. The higher negative value of the electrostatic potential (ESP) at the Si-centre (-28.8 kcal mol(-1)) as compared to that at the P-centre (-15.3 kcal mol(-1)) justifies this observation. Furthermore, the chloride abstraction from 3 by AgSbF6 led to the formation of a dinuclear Au(i) cationic complex, [PhC(NtBu)2Si(2,6-iPr2-C6H3NPPh2)(Au)]2[SbF6]2 (4), which displays an intra-molecular Au...Au interaction of 2.865 Å.
