Tri(N-carbazolyl)phosphine Gold(I) Complexes: Structural and Catalytic Activity Studies

Area of Science:

• Organometallic Chemistry
• Supramolecular Chemistry
• Catalysis

Background:

• Gold(I) complexes are valuable catalysts in organic synthesis.
• Understanding non-covalent interactions in metal complexes is crucial for catalyst design.
• Isotopic effects on crystal packing and reactivity are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize novel tri(N-carbazolyl)phosphine gold(I) complexes.
• To investigate the Au-H(D) interaction within these complexes.
• To explore the catalytic applications of these complexes in glycosylation reactions.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis and characterization of twelve tri(N-carbazolyl)phosphine gold(I) complexes.
• Spectroscopic and crystallographic analysis to confirm structure and interactions.
• Evaluation of catalytic activity in gold(I)-catalyzed glycosylation.

Main Results:

• Successful synthesis of protonated and deuterated gold(I) complexes.
• Observation of an elusive Au-H(D) interaction.
• Discovery of isotopic polymorphism in complexes 5(H)/5(D) with distinct crystal packing.
• High catalytic efficiency in glycosylation, with turnover numbers (TON) up to 27,000.

Conclusions:

• The synthesized gold(I) complexes exhibit unique Au-H(D) interactions and isotopic polymorphism.
• These complexes show promising catalytic activity for glycosylation reactions.
• The findings contribute to the understanding of non-covalent interactions and isotopic effects in organometallic chemistry.