Auriferous alkynylselenolatoalkylidynes

The reaction of alkynylselenolatoalkylidynes [W([triple bond, length as m-dash]CSeC[triple bond, length as m-dash]CR)(CO) 2 (Tp*)] (R = SiMe 3 , Si i Pr 3 , Ph, p-tolyl, Bu, CPh 3 , SiPh 3 , GePh 3 ; Tp* = hydrotris(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)borate) with [AuCl(L)] (L = tetrahydrothiophene, SMe 2 ) readily furnishes heterobimetallic complexes [WAu(μ-CSeC[triple bond, length as m-dash]CR)Cl(CO) 2 (Tp*)] where gold(i) chloride coordinates to the tungsten-carbon multiple bond. Alternatively, desilylation of the SiMe 3 complex [W([triple bond, length as m-dash]CSeC[triple bond, length as m-dash]CSiMe 3 )(CO) 2 (Tp*)] in the presence of gold phosphine complexes [AuCl(PR' 3 )] (R' = Ph or Cy) furnishes the gold alkynyl derivatives, [W([triple bond, length as m-dash]CSeC[triple bond, length as m-dash]CAuPR' 3 )(CO) 2 (Tp*)].