Abstract
Complexes of diethylmalonate, a common building block in organic synthesis, with gold(l) and silver(l) have been investigated. Both metal cations coordinate between the two carbonyl-oxygen atoms of diethylmalonate.
The gold(I) complex should also bear diethylmalonate in the enol-form in the gas phase, while the diketo form is preferred in the condensed phase. The IRMPD spectrum shows that the diketo form is retained upon electrospray ionization also in the gaseous diethylmalonate complex with Au(PMe3)(+).
The diethylmalonate complex with a bare silver cation undergoes an association with a water molecule in the gas phase. Spectra of the bare complex and the water-tagged complex are compared.