Planar dithiooxamides form stable complexes with Au(III)- and Cu(I)-io
ns. The neutral Au(LH)X-2 (LH2=RHNCSCSNHR)-complexes decompose without
forming any intermediate. The ionic A[Au(L)(2)] (A=Li, Na, K) are mai
nly stabilized by the lattice forces. In the [Au(LH2)Br-2]Br-complex t
he release of 1HBr per molecule occurs in two steps to form the more s
table Au(LH)Br-2. The neutral Cu(LH2)(2)X (X=Cl, Pr, I) decompose to f
orm the more stable Cu(LH2)X. The Cu(LH2)X-complexes disproportionate
to form (CuL)(x) polymers, Cu, ligand and HX. The Cu(CH3HNCSCSNHCH3)I
shows the formation of a stable Cu-4(CH3HNCSCSNHCH3)I-4 and the ligand
at 200 degrees C. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.