A monomeric gold(I) carbanion complex with an uncoordinated thioether: [2-(methylsulfanyl)phenyl](triphenylphosphine)gold(I)

The title compound, [Au(C7H7S)(C18H15P)], is conformationally chiral and crystallizes from benzene - hexane as individually enantiopure crystals. This mononuclear compound has the Au I atom linearly bound to a triphenylphosphine P atom and to a phenyl C atom of a 2-(methylsulfanyl) phenyl group. The angle at the Au I atom is 175.9 (2)degrees. The linear ligand coordination about the Au I atom has geometric parameters inside the remarkably narrow range found for gold complexes bound by a phosphine ligand and by the ortho-C atom of a substituted phenyl group. This is the first example of gold(I) attached to a methylsulfanyl aromatic carbanion.