The resonance character of Cu/Ag/Au bonding is investigated in B⋅⋅⋅M-X (M=Cu, Ag, Au; X=F, Cl, Br, CH3, CF3; B=CO, H2O, H2S, C2H2, C2H4) complexes. The natural bond orbital/natural resonance theory results strongly support the general resonance-type three-center/four-electron (3c/4e) picture of Cu/Ag/Au bonding, B:M-X↔B(+) -M:X(-) , which mainly arises from hyperconjugation interactions. On the basis of such resonance-type bonding mechanisms, the ligand effects in the more strongly bound OC⋅⋅⋅M-X series are analyzed, and distinct competition between CO and the axial ligand X is observed. This competitive bonding picture directly explains why CO in OC⋅⋅⋅Au-CF3 can be readily replaced by a number of other ligands. Additionally, conservation of the bond order indicates that the idealized relationship bB⋅⋅⋅M +bMX =1 should be suitably generalized for intermolecular bonding, especially if there is additional partial multiple bonding at one end of the 3c/4e hyperbonded triad.

The organogold complexes of LAuCCH(-) (L = F, Cl, Br, I, CCH) were investigated using natural bond orbital/natural resonance theory (NBO/NRT) methods. The NBO/NRT results strongly support the general resonance-type three-center-four-electron (3c/4e) picture of LAuCCH: L(-): Au-CCH ↔ L-Au :CCH(-), arising from hyperconjugation interactions. The sums of ionic and covalent contributions to both L-Au and Au-CCH bonds are all slightly larger than that due to the additional π-back bonding within the 3c/4e hyperbonded triad. This complementary relationship between L-Au and Au-CCH bond orders implies a competing relationship between the ancillary ligand and CCH around the gold atom. We discuss the ligand effects in the LAuCCH(-) series on the basis of this competing relationship.