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Anion⋅⋅⋅Anion Coinage Bonds: The Case of Tetrachloridoaurate
Author(s) -
Daolio Andrea,
Pizzi Andrea,
Terraneo Giancarlo,
Ursini Maurizio,
Frontera Antonio,
Resnati Giuseppe
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
angewandte chemie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1521-3757
pISSN - 0044-8249
DOI - 10.1002/ange.202104592
Subject(s) - supramolecular chemistry , chemistry , crystallography , ion , polymer , octahedron , electrophile , chemical physics , counterion , computational chemistry , crystal structure , organic chemistry , catalysis
Interactions in crystalline tetrachloridoaurates of acetylcholine and dimethylpropiothetine are characterized by Au ⋅⋅⋅ Cl and Au ⋅⋅⋅ O short contacts. The former interactions assemble the AuCl 4 − units into supramolecular anionic polymers, while the latter interactions append the acetylcholine and propiothetine units to the polymer. The distorted octahedral geometry of the bonding pattern around the gold center is rationalized on the basis of the anisotropic distribution of the electron density, which enables gold to behave as an electrophile (π‐hole coinage‐bond donor). Computational studies prove that gold atoms in negatively charged species can function as acceptors of electron density. The attractive nature of the Au ⋅⋅⋅ Cl/O interactions described here complement the known aurophilic bonds involved in gold‐centered interactions.