Abstract In the presence of alkali and LAuCl one or two -NH - groups of a purine or pyrimidine base can be transformed into - N(AuL)- groups giving stable and soluble compounds containing one or two two-coordinated gold(I) nuclei; mononuclear LAu - Q' or binuclear LAu - Q - AuL with a monodentate Q'- or an exobidentate O-- ligand, resp. (Q'H = adenine, guanine, theobromine, theophylline, azaguanine or cytosine; QH2 - thymine or uracyl; L = triphenylphosphine)