GOLD COORDINATION BY A TERTIARY PHOSPHINE WITH 3 THIOETHER FUNCTIONS

The reaction of tris(phenylthiomethyl)phosphine with equimolecular amo unts of [AuPPh(3)](+)[BF4](-) affords the complex is(phenylthiomethyl) phosphine)(tripheylphosphine)- gold(I) tetrafluoroborate 1 in good yie ld. The X-ray diffraction analysis of this product shows an unusual co nformation with the three CH(2)SPh arms of the phosphine folded back t owards the metal atom shielding the P-Au-P' unit. The reaction of the same substrate with Bis(tetrahydrothiophene)gold(I) perchlorate in a 1 :1 molar ratio leads to the displacement of both weakly coordinated th t ligands, and a dimeric product [AuP(CH(2)SPh)(3)](2)(ClO4)(2) 2 is o btained.