Synthesis and structural characterisation of stable cationic gold(I) alkene complexes

Treatment of [AuCl(PBu3t)] with AgSbF6 in CH2Cl2 at room temperature in the presence of the alkenes norbornene, norbornadiene, trans-cyclooctene, and also interestingly, isobutylene, leads to the formation of stable crystalline complexes [Au(PBu3t)(alkene)][SbF6], characterised by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography.