Implications of the Results of a Routine Structure Determination: Tris(triphenylphosphine)gold(I) Chloride Bis(dichloromethane)

Tris(triphenylphosphine)gold(I) chloride was found to form a crystalline phase with two molecules of dichloromethane. In the crystal the chlorine atom is almost fully dissociated from the [(Ph3P)3Au] cation. The gold atom shows only a minor displacement from the plane of the phosphorus atoms (sum of the angles P-Au-P 355.35!; d(Au-Cl) 2.7962(6) Å), very similar to the geometry of the solvent-free crystalline phase. The results are discussed in the context of all known structures for compounds [(Ph3P)3MCl], M = Cu, Ag, Au. The variations in structure appear to be dominated by electronic (relativistic) rather than steric effects.