[Au(2-C2H4)3]+[Al(ORF)4] a Stable Homoleptic (Ethene)gold Complex

The simple metathesis reaction of the silver(I) weakly coordinating anion (WCA) salt Ag[Al(ORF)4] {RF = C(CF3)3} with gold(I) chloride and ethene led to the formation of the second isolable tris(ethene)gold(I) complex, the last missing entry in the triad [M(C2H4)3]+[Al(ORF)4] (M = Cu, Ag, Au). The Au atom is coordinated by three ethene ligands in a distorted trigonal-planar manner in a so-called spoke-wheel arrangement. The formation of the tris(ethene) complex instead of the more expected bis(ethene) complex was analyzed by theoretical investigations and by a BornFajansHaber cycle for [Au(C2H4)3]+[Al(ORF)4] as well as the only other known example [Au(C2H4)3]+[SbF6].