Silver Compounds in Synthetic Chemistry. 1 A Facile Preparative Route for Pentafluorophenylsilver, AgC 6 F 5 and its Use as an Oxidative Pentafluorophenyl Group Transfer Reagent in Reactions with Group 12 to 16 Elements — the Single Crystal Structure of AgC 6 F 5 · EtCN, the First Arylsilver Derivative Crystallising in Infinite Chains

AgC6F5 is directly and quantitatively formed from room temperature reactions of AgF and Me3SiC6F5 in N-donor solvents, particularly EtCN. Solutions of AgC6F5 prepared by this method exhibit excellent oxidative properties in reactions with a variety of groups 12 to 16 elements giving the corresponding pentafluorophenyl element compounds in moderate to excellent yields. AgC6F5·EtCN crystallises with monoclinic symmetry (C2/c, Z = 8, a = 2301.4(5) pm, b = 1078.8(4) pm, c = 948.0(2) pm, β = 113.19(1)°) and exhibits chains of silver atoms with bridging C6F5 groups.