A diverse
family of heterobimetallic bridging hydride adducts of
the type [LAu(μ-H)2MCp2][X] (L = 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazole-2-ylidene,
IPr; 1,3-bis(1-adamantyl)imidazole-2-ylidene, IAd; 1,3-bis(2,6-di-iso-propylphenyl)-5,5-dimethyl-4,6-diketopyrimidinyl-2-ylidene, DippDAC; triphenylphosphine, PPh3; 2-di-tert-butylphosphino-2′,4′,6′-triisopropylbiphenyl,
tBuXPhos; X = SbF6
–, BF4
– or TfO–) was
synthesized by reacting group VI metallocene dihydrides Cp2MH2 (Cp = cyclopentadienyl anion; M = Mo, W) with cationic
gold(I) complexes [LAu(NCMe)][X]. Trimetallic [L′Au2(μ-H)2WCp2][X]2 and tetrametallic
[L′Au2{(μ-H)2WCp2}2] [X]2 complexes (L′ = rac-2,2′-bis(diphenylphosphino)-1,1′-binaphthalene or
bis(diphenylphosphinomethane)) were obtained by reacting digold [L′{Au(NCMe)}2][X]2 with Cp2WH2 in a 1:1
and a 1:2 stoichiometry. Accessing such a broad structural diversity
allowed us to pinpoint roles played by the ancillary ligands and group
VI metals on the bonding properties of this family of bridging hydrides.
In particular, a clear effect of the ligand on the interaction energy
and electronic structure was observed, with important implications
on photolytic reactivity. UV or visible light irradiation, indeed,
leads to the selective cleavage of the heterobimetallic Au(μ-H)2M arrangement and formation of molecular gold hydrides. The
photolysis was found to be chromoselective (wavelength-dependent),
which can be ascribed to different charge redistributions upon excitation
to the first (Kasha’s reactivity) and higher (anti-Kasha’s
reactivity) excited states.