Heterometal Interactions and Bonds

A secondary bond , as defined by Alcock [6-8], is an interaction between two atoms characterized by a distance longer than the sum of the covalent radii but shorter than the sum of the van der Waals radii of the corresponding atoms. Such secondary interactions are weaker than normal covalent or dative bonds, but strong enough to connect individual molecules and to modify the coordination geometry of the atoms involved. They are often present in a crystal, thus resulting in self-assembled supermolecules or supramolecular architectures. For gold complexes, 

Modem Supramolecular Gold Chemistry Gold-Metal Interactions and Applications. Edited by Antonio Laguna 

Copyright 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH Co. KGaA, Weinheim ISBN 978-3-527-32029-5 

---