Exploring the Reactivity and Biological Effects of Heteroleptic N-Heterocyclic Carbene Gold(I)- Alkynyl Complexes

With the aim to explore the effects of different organometallic ligands on the reactivity and biological properties of a series of twelve heteroleptic AuI complexes, of general formula [Au(NHC)(alkynyl)] (NHC = benzimidazolylidene or 1,3-dihydroimidazolylidene) were synthesized and characterized by 1H and 13C NMR and elemental analysis, and in some cases also by X-ray diffraction. The compounds were all stable in H2O/DMSO as established by NMR spectroscopy, while they could react with model thiols (EtSH) in the presence of water to undergo ligand-substitution reactions. 1H NMR experiments showed that dissociation of the more labile alkynyl ligand was possible for all compounds, while in the…