Synthesis of N-heterocyclic carbene gold(I) complexes

N-heterocyclic carbene gold(I) chloride and hydroxide complexes are regularly used as synthons to access various oxygen-, nitrogen- or carbon-bound gold complexes. They are also widely employed as efficient catalysts in addition reactions of hydroelements to unsaturated bonds and in several rearrangement and decarboxylation protocols. Here we describe the multigram synthesis of the most common mononuclear N-heterocyclic carbene gold(I) chloride complexes bearing the N,N′-bis-(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene (IMes), N,N′-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene (IPr) and N,N′-bis(2,6-bis(diphenylmethyl)-4-methylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene (IPr*) ligands. Their synthesis is achieved through the straightforward and practical weak base approach in a total time of 4–5 h. This straightforward methodology is conducted under air and possesses considerable advantages over alternative routes, such as the use of a sustainable reaction solvent, minimal amounts of a mild base and commercially available or easily obtained starting materials. Additionally, we describe the synthesis of the mononuclear gold(I) hydroxide complex bearing the IPr ligand, using the state-of-the-art method requiring 24 h. Finally, the improved synthesis of the dinuclear gold(I) hydroxide complex [{Au(IPr)}2(μ-OH)][BF4] is described (~3 h). All procedures can be performed by researchers with standard training and lead to high yields (76–99%) of microanalytically pure bench-stable materials.