Synthesis Methods, Structure, and Applications of Metal Dicyanoaurate, Tetracyanoaurate, and Dihalodicyanoaurate Complexes

Abstract

Cyanoaurate complexes represent a broad class of compounds with diverse structures. In particular, coordination polymers based on these complexes have numerous potential practical applications, including in microelectronics, nanotechnology, materials science, and medicine. In the development of new functional materials, significant attention is given to the possibility of molecules and other structural units participating in noncovalent interactions, which play a crucial role in determining the physicochemical properties and biological activity of these materials. Thus, the presence of aurophilic contacts or halogen–halogen interactions in cyanoaurate complexes only intensifies researchers’ interest in this class of compounds. At present, study of the chemistry of gold cyanides continues to develop rapidly, making the synthesis and exploration of new cyanoaurate compounds, as well as the systematization of the knowledge gained, relevant tasks. This review, encompassing a description of contemporary achievements in the methods of synthesis, investigation of structural features, and potential practical applications of metal dicyanoaurates, tetracyanoaurates, and dihalodicyanoaurates of both molecular and ionic types, is based on an analysis of publications, with the majority of sources published before 2022. Some more recent studies are also included in the review. The information presented in this article is fundamentally important and undoubtedly valuable for specialists in the field of inorganic and organometallic chemistry of gold.