Chloro(dimethyl sulfide)gold(I)

Chloro(dimethyl sulfide)gold(I)

structural formula of the title molecule
ball-and-stick model of the molecule derived from the crystal structure
Identifiers
CAS Number	29892-37-3 Y
Properties
Chemical formula	C2H6AuClS
Molar mass	294.55 g·mol−1
Vapor pressure	{{{value}}}
Related compounds
Related compounds	chloro(tetrahydrothiophene)gold(I)
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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Infobox references

Chloro(dimethyl sulfide)gold(I) is a coordination complex of gold. It is a white solid. This compound is a common entry point into gold chemistry.

Structure

As for many other gold(I) complexes, the compound adopts a nearly linear (176.9°) geometry about the central gold centre. The Au-S bond distance is 2.271(2) Å, which is similar to other gold(I)-sulfur bonds.

Preparation

Chloro(dimethyl sulfide)gold(I) is commercially available. It may be prepared by dissolving gold in aqua regia (to give chloroauric acid), followed by addition of dimethyl sulfide. Alternatively, sodium tetrachloroaurate may be used as the source of gold(III). The bromo analog, Me₂SAuBr, has also been synthesized by a similar route. An approximate equation is:

HAuCl₄ + 2 SMe₂ + H₂O → Me₂SAuCl + 3 HCl + OSMe₂

Reactions

In chloro(dimethyl sulfide)gold(I), the dimethyl sulfide ligand is easily displaced by other ligands:

Me₂SAuCl + L → LAuCl + Me₂S (L = ligand)

Since Me₂S is volatile, the new complex LAuCl is often easily purified.

When exposed to light and air, the compound decomposes to elemental gold.