Pentanedionatogold I Complexes and 2,4-Pentanedionatothallium

Submitted by JOSE VICENTE and MARIA-TERESA CHICOTE Checked by ROSA M. DAVILA, MATTHEW S. ADRIAN, and JOHN P. FACKLER, JR.  

4-pentanedionato or acetylacetonato (acac) complexes are useful synthetic intermediates because they react with protic acids through the reaction (l) 1 

The preparation of [Au(acac)PPh3] was first reported by Lewis et al.4 by the reaction of [AuCl(PPh3)] with Tl(acac), but few experimental details were given. We report here a simpler method that improves the yield and uses less Tl(acac) than that reported later by Ingold et al.5 

Although Tl(acac) is a very useful thallium compound and is commercially available (Strem) it is very easily obtained by reacting the cheaper T12C03 and acetylacetone as described below. We also report the synthesis of PPN[AuC12], which is used to prepare PPN[Au(acac)2]. 

The compound Tl(acac) is a white, crystalline solid which is air and moisture stable at room temperature. It decomposes at 136°C and is soluble in refluxing ethanol, slightly soluble in acetone and dichloromethane, and insoluble in diethyl ether and -hexane. Its IR spectrum shows v(CO) as a strong broad band at 1600 cm 

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