Synthesis and Structural Characterization of Water-Soluble Gold(I) NHeterocyclic Carbene Complexes. An Xray Absorption Fine Structure Spectroscopy (XAFS) Study

G.A. FERNANDÉZ; A.S. PICCO; M. CEOLIN; A.B. CHOPA; G.F. SILBESTRI

ORGANOMETALLICS

AMER CHEMICAL SOC

Lugar: Washington; Año: 2013 vol. 32 p. 6315 - 6323

0276-7333

Water-soluble gold(I) N-heterocyclic carbene complexes were synthesized and characterized using X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAFS) in combination with traditional analytical techniques such as NMR, mass spectrometry, and UV-vis spectroscopy. XANES and EXAFS regions are sensitive to coordination number, ligand electronic structure, and distance around the metal center, providing information on the oxidation state and bonding structure of gold, which allows discrimination between mono- and bis-carbene species. Preliminary results showed that the catalysts are active in the hydration of terminal alkynes in aqueous media; in addition, they are highly recyclable.