Expeditious Synthesis of [Au(NHC)(L)]+ (NHC = N-Heterocyclic Carbene; L = Phosphine or NHC) Complexes

The use of the versatile N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) gold(I) hydroxide [Au(OH)(IPr)] (IPr = N,N '-bis(2,6-diisopropylpheny)imidazol-2-ylidene) as precursor permits the expedient synthesis of a series of cationic heteroleptic [Au(NHC)(NHC')](+) and [Au(NHC)(PR3)](+) complexes by proton. lysis with the appropriate acid salts. Complete characterization by H-1 and C-13 NMR spectroscopy and by single-crystal X-ray diffraction was performed in order to discern electronic and structural differences between cationic heteroleptic [Au(NHC)(NHC')](+) and [Au(NHC)(PR3)](+) congeners.