Gold(III) chloride and acetate complexes with bipyridine and phenanthroline

Cationic-anionic chloride complexes of gold(III), [(L)AuCl2]BF4 (L = 2,2'-bipyridine and 1,10-phenanthroline (Phen)), are synthesized. Their reactions and the reactions of complex [(Phen)AuCl2]Cl with silver(I) and sodium acetates are studied. The chloride ligands in complexes [(L)AuCl2]BF4 are easily substituted by the acetate ligands in the reaction with silver(I) acetate to form new carboxylate complexes [(L)Au(OAc)(2)]BF4. The reaction of complex [(Phen)AuCl2]Cl with sodium acetate in glacial acetic acid affords binary complex salt [(Phen)AuCl2][AuCl4], which is characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis.