A Cavity-Shaped Gold(I) Fragment Enables CO₂ Insertion into Au–OH and Au–NH Bonds

Abstract

A cavity-shaped linear gold(I) hydroxide complex acts as a platform to access unusual gold monomeric species. Notably, this sterically crowded gold fragment enables the trapping of CO 2 via insertion into Au−OH and Au−NH bonds to form unprecedented monomeric gold(I) carbonate and carbamate complexes. In addition, we succeeded in the identification of the first gold(I) terminal hydride bearing a phosphine ligand. The basic nature of the Au(I)-hydroxide moiety is also explored through the reactivity toward other molecules containing acidic protons such as trifluoromethanesulfonic acid and terminal alkynes.