Polygold(1-adamantyl)ammonium Salts

The reaction of 1-adamantylamine with tris(triphenylphosphaneaurio)oxonium tetrafluoroborate results in the formation of the trinuclear adamantyltris(triphenylphosphaneaurio)ammonium tetrafluoroborate {C10H15[Au(PPh3)]3}+BF4−. The product can be further aurated by addition of equimolar amounts of triphenylphosphanegold(I) tetrafluoroborate to give the tetranuclear complex {C10H15N[Au(PPh3)]4}2+(BF4minus;)2. Both compounds have been fully characterized by analytical and spectroscopic data, and in the case of the trinuclear complex by a single crystal X-ray structure determination.