Linear complexes of cyanogold with clohexyldiphenylphosphine(cyano(cyc
lohexyldiphenyl gold(I), [Au(CN)(C18H21P)]} and tri(m-tolyl)phosphine
{cyano[tri(m-tolyl)phosphine]gold(I), [AU(CN)(C21H21- P)]) were synthe
sized and their crystal structures were compared with those of similar
complexes. Irrespective of the differences in the anions (CN- versus
Cl-) or in the steric and electronic requirements of the various phosp
hines, the Au-C and Au-P distances are similar in all the compared AuC
N complexes. The CN- ligand in each of the two complexes reported here
is tilted with respect to the P-Au-C axis, with the Au-C-N angle devi
ating by about 7.0(1)degrees from linearity.