Multimetallic Gold–Iron Compounds Based on Aurated Ferrocenes

A family of aurated ferrocenes was prepared by a transmetallation reaction using ferroceneboronic acid derivatives. With this method, multimetallic ferrocenyl complexes [FcAu(PPh3)] {Fc = (η5-C5H4)FeCp} and [(µ-P-P)(AuFc)2] {P-P = dppe, dppf}, as well as 1,1′-diaurated ferrocenes [Fe(η5-C5H4AuPPh3)2] and [Fe{(η5-C5H4Au)}2(µ-P-P)] {P-P = dppe, dppf}, were obtained in high yields as air-stable orange materials. The compounds were characterised by spectroscopic methods, cyclic voltammetry and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The reactivity of the dinuclear gold(I) complex in oxidative addition reactions is also reported