Synthesis and Characterization of Gold‐Phosphine Complexes for Potential Use as Anti‐Arthritic Agents

New gold(I)-phosphine complexes have been synthesized and studied using multinuclear 1H. and 31p-NMR spectroscopy and X-my diffraction methods. 31p-NMR is particularly helpful as it distinguishes between phosphorus atoms in different chemical environments. Gold(Ill) salts were easily reduced in situ. A variety of diphosphines, L PPh2(CH2)nPPh2, n 1-4, and one triphosphine, triphos, CH3C(CH2PPh2)3, were added stoichiometrically to the Au(I) solution so that each gold atom was bound to one phosphorus.. These digonal gold complexes were isolated. Monophosphines such as triphenylphosphine, PPh3, and tricyclohexylphosphine, PCy3, were added in organic solvent to increase the metal coordination number. Several equilbria in solution will be described together with diffraction studies performed on single crystals. In one case PCy3 displaced completely the diphosphine ligand.