2-Aminoalkylgold Complexes: The Putative Intermediate in Au-Catalyzed Hydroamination of Alkenes Does Not Protodemetalate.

Au-catalyzed hydroamination proceeds well for alkynes but not alkenes. We report gas-phase binding energies of alkenes and alkynes to a cationic Au center, which indicate that differences in binding are not the origin of the disparate chemical behavior. We further report the synthesis and characterization of 2-aminoalkylgold complexes, which would be the intermediates in a hypothetical Au-catalyzed hydroamination of styrene.