On the Reactivity of Thiourea Derivatives with Silver(I) Oxide

Aryl thioureas of the type ArNHC(S)NR2 react with Ag2O to form the corresponding silver(I) thioureato complexes. Depending on the nature of the thiourea, either insoluble materials, zig-zag coordination polymers or discrete tetranuclear silver species were isolated and structurally characterised. These thioureato complexes react with one, two or three equivalents of a phosphine ligand, forming a series of compounds with various structural motifs and different coordination numbers at the metal. The spectroscopic properties and structures of several of these compounds are discussed.