Nuclearity control in gold dithiocarboxylato compounds

The reaction between ipdt (ipdt = −S2CCH2CH(CH3)2) and KAu(CN)2 in ethanol gives rise to crystals of compound 1 in which two different entities are present: the dimetallic complex [Au2(ipdt)2] and the coordination polymer [Au2(ipdt)2]n. The infinite structure of the polymeric entity, [Au2(ipdt)2]n, is sustained by means of bridging dithiocarboxylato ligands. When 1 is dissolved in CS2, the ditiocarboxylato ligands of [Au2(ipdt)2]n are rearranged to afford the discrete complex [Au2(ipdt)2], which undergoes aggregation in solution at a low temperature and high concentration. The X-ray structure of [Au2(ipdt)2] suggests that the driving force of the aggregation observed in solution can be explained in terms of intermolecular aurophilic interactions.