A Golden Ring: Molecular Gold Carbido Complexes

Stannylcarbynes [M(equivalent to CSnMe3)(CO)(2)(Tp*)] [M = Mo, W; Tp* = hydrotris-(dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)borate], which are readily obtained via the successive treatment of [M(equivalent to CBr)(CO)(2)(Tp*)] with BuLi and ClSnMe3, serve as effective carbyne transmetalation agents for the preparation of heteronuclear molecular gold carbido complexes such as [M(equivalent to CAuPPh3)(CO)(2)(Tp*)] and the tetrameric golden ring complex [W(equivalent to CAu)(CO)(2)(Tp*)](4), which are in turn able to transfer the carbido unit to palladium.