Reactivity studies of cationic Au(III) difluorides supported by N ligands

The reactivity of difluoro Au(III) cations supported by pyridine or imidazole ligands is reported. The Au(III)−F bond is found to be susceptible to metathesis by TMS reagents and reagents bearing acidic protons such as H−CC−Ph and HOAc. In the last case the reactions are slower than analogous reactions reported by other groups, where strong trans donors are present opposite the Au−F bond. This, coupled with the inability to effect metathesis on only one Au−F bond in our system, indicates that the trans effect is a key consideration in Au−F chemistry.