The constitutional dynamic chemistry of Au<sub>3</sub>(pyrazolate)<sub>3</sub> complexes.
Uncover the dynamic chemistry of gold trinuclear complexes - a surprising discovery that pyrazoles catalyze ligand exchange, unlocking new possibilities for nanostructure design.
This research explores the constitutional dynamic chemistry of Au3(pyrazolate)3 complexes, which are widely used in molecular and polymeric nanostructures. The study investigated exchange reactions between these complexes and pyrazole ligands, revealing slow kinetics that corroborate their inert character. Interestingly, the introduction of 3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)pyrazolato ligands led to a sigmoidal rate profile, indicating that pyrazoles can act as potent (auto)catalysts for ligand exchange and scrambling reactions. The findings were further supported by crystallographic analyses of four heteroleptic Au3(Pz)2(Pz') complexes. These insights into the dynamic behavior of these gold complexes could enable the development of more sophisticated nanostructures and materials.