title: Trinuclear gold clusters supported by cyclic (alkyl)(amino)carbene ligands: mimics for gold heterogeneous catalysts.
abstract: The synthesis of air- and moisture-stable trinuclear mixed-valence gold(I)/gold(0) clusters is described. They promote the catalytic carbonylation of amines under relatively mild conditions. The synthetic route leading to the trinuclear clusters involves a simple ligand exchange from the readily available μ(3)-oxo-[(Ph3 PAu)3O](+) complex. This synthetic method paves the way for the preparation of a variety of mixed-valence gold(I)/gold(0) polynuclear clusters. Moreover, the well-defined nature of the complexes demonstrates that the catalytic process involves a rare example of a definite change of oxidation state of gold from Au(0)2Au(I) to Au(I)3.
authors.affiliation: UCSD-CNRS Joint Research Laboratory (UMI 3555), Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0343 (USA) http://bertrandgroup.ucsd.edu.
authors.forename: Liqun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Weinberger
authors.forename: Mohand
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Melaimi
authors.forename: Curtis E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Moore
authors.forename: Arnold L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Rheingold
authors.forename: Guy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bertrand
mesh_terms: D002384:Catalysis; D006046:Gold / Q000737:chemistry*; D008024:Ligands; D008697:Methane / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000737:chemistry; D008958:Models, Molecular
chemical_list: D008024:Ligands; C030011:carbene; D006046:Gold; D008697:Methane
keywords: amine carbonylation; carbenes; gold clusters; heterogeneous catalysis