Synthesis and characterization of dinuclear gold(I) ring and open-ring complexes containing saturated and unsaturated dithiol bridging ligands and phosphine or bis(diphosphine) donor ligands. Crystal structures of [Au2(.mu.-S(CH2)3S) (.mu.-dppm)], [Au2(.mu.-MNT)(PPh3)2], [Au2(.mu.-S2C6H4) (PPh3)2], and [Au4(.mu.-S2C6H3CH3)2(PEt3)2]

Dinuclear gold(I) complexes of the type [Au 2 (μ-dithiolate)(L) n ] where L is a phosphine or bis(dialkylphosphine) have been synthesized. The molecular structures of [Au 2 (μ-S(CH 2 ) 3 S)(μ-dppm)] [dppm=bis((diphenylphosphino)methane)], [Au 2 (μ-MNT)(PPh 3 ) 2 ] (MNT=1,2-dicyanoethene- 1,2-dithiolate-S,S'), and [Au 2 (μ-S 2 C 6 H 4 )-(PPh 3 ) 2 ] are described. In addition, the structure of the tetranuclear bis(dithiolate) [Au 4 (μ-S 2 C 6 H 3 CH 3 ) 2 (PEt 3 ) 2 ] is reported.