Organic azide complexes of copper(I) and silver(I), [(SIPr)CuN(1-Ad)NN][SbF6], [(SIPr)CuN(2-Ad)NN][SbF6], [(SIPr)CuN(Cy)NN][SbF6], and [(SIPr)AgN(1-Ad)NN][SbF6] have been synthesized
by using Ag[SbF6] and the corresponding organic azides
with (SIPr)CuBr and (SIPr)AgCl (SIPr = 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazolin-2-ylidene).
The copper and silver organic azide complexes were characterized by
various spectroscopic techniques and X-ray crystallography. Group
trends of isoleptic Cu(I), Ag(I), and Au(I) organic azide complexes
are presented on the basis of experimental data and a detailed computational
study. The νasym(N3) values of the metal-bound
1-AdNNN in [(SIPr)MN(1-Ad)NN]+ follow the order Ag <
Cu < Au. DFT calculations show that gold(I) forms the strongest
bond with 1-AdNNN in this series, while silver has the weakest interaction.
Furthermore, auxiliary ligand free coinage metal N-heterocyclic carbene
complexes, [(SIPr)M][SbF6], have been synthesized via metathesis
reactions of (SIPr)MCl (M = Cu, Ag, Au) with Ag[SbF6].
X-ray crystal structures of dinuclear [(SIPr)Ag]2[SbF6]2 and [(SIPr)Au]2[SbF6]2 are also reported. They show close metallophilic contacts.
[(SIPr)Au]2[SbF6]2 reacts with OEt2, SMe2, and CN
t
Bu to
afford [(SIPr)Au(OEt2)][SbF6], [(SIPr)Au(SMe2)][SbF6], and [(SIPr)Au(CN
t
Bu)][SbF6] adducts, respectively.