Synthesis and molecular structure of biologically significant bis(1,3-dimesityl-4,5-naphthoquinoimidazol-2-ylidene)gold(I) complexes with chloride and dichloridoaurate counter-ions
Diffraction-quality single crystals of two gold(I) complexes, namely bis(1,3-dimesityl-4,5-naphthoquinoimidazol-2-ylidene)gold(I) chloride benzene monosolvate, [Au(C29H26N2O2)2]Cl·C6H6or [(NQMes)2Au]Cl·C6H6,2, and bis(1,3-dimesityl-4,5-naphthoquinoimidazol-2-ylidene)gold(I) dichloridoaurate(I) dichloromethane disolvate, [Au(C29H26N2O2)2][AuCl2]·2CH2Cl2or [(NQMes)2Au][AuCl2]·2CH2Cl2,4, were isolated and studied with the aid of single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. Compound2crystallizes in a monoclinic space groupC2/cwith eight molecules in the unit cell, while compound4crystallizes in the triclinic space groupP\overline{1} with two molecules in the unit cell. The crystal lattice of compound2reveals C—H...Cl−interactions that are present throughout the entire structure representing head-to-tail contacts between the aromatic (C—H) hydrogens of naphthoquinone and Cl−counter-ions. Compound4stacks with the aid of short interactions between a naphthoquinone O atom of one molecule and the mesityl methyl group of another molecule along theaaxis, leading to a one-dimensional strand that is held together by strong π–η2interactions between the imidazolium backbone and the [AuCl2]−counter-ion. The bond angles defined by the AuIatom and two carbene C atoms [C(carbene)—Au—C(carbene)] in compounds2and4are nearly rectilinear, with an average value of ∼174.1 [2]°. Though2and4share the same cation, they differ in their counter-anion, which alters the crystal lattice of the two compounds. The knowledge gleaned from these studies is expected to be useful in understanding the molecular interactions of2and4under physiological conditions.