Using the newly introduced reducing agent in gold cluster chemistry GaCp, four new bimetallic gold-gallium cluster compounds were synthesised, stabilised by alkylphosphine ligands. The gold core of Au6(GaCl2)4(PEt3)6, Au7(GaCl2)3(P n Pr3)6 and Au13(GaCl2)5(GaCl)(P n Pr2 n Bu)9 is composed of two, three and four Au4 tetrahedra, linked in different ways. This arrangement gives the last-mentioned cluster the shape of a five-pointed star. A fourth synthesised metalloid gold cluster Au13(GaCl2)5(P n Pr3)9 consists of a voluminous gold core encircled by a gold-gallium chain. These gold-gallium chains are present in all four cluster compounds and are similar to the well-known gold-sulphur staple motifs in thiol-stabilised gold cluster compounds.
This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry.