Hydrogen-bonded networks: (phosphine)gold(I) 4-amino-2-pyrimidine-thiolates

Treatment of the gold(I) halide complexes LAuCl (where L=PMe3, PEt3, PPh3, PPh2Py) and PP(AuCl)2 [where PP=bis(diphenylphosphino)methane; 1,1′-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene] with 4-amino-2-pyrimidine-thiol (2-SPym-4-NH2) (one or two equivalents as required) in the presence of sodium methoxide provides the corresponding (phosphine)gold(I) thiolate complexes LAu(2-SPym-4-NH2) and PP[Au(2-SPym-4-NH2)]2, respectively. A polyaurated product [(Ph3PAu)2(2-SPym-4-NH2)]BF4 is obtained on treating the thiol with the oxonium complex [(Ph3PAu)3O]BF4. The compounds LAu(2-SPym-4-NH2) (L=PPh3, PPh2Py, PEt3) and [(dppm)Au2(2-SPym-4-NH2)2] have been investigated crystallographically.