Pi-Bonded alkene and arene complexes of silver(I): an electrospray mass spectrometric study

Electrospray mass spectra have been observed for a number of alkene and arene complexes of Ag(1) formed by the interaction of AgN03 and the organometallic ligand in water/methanol solution. The ES mass spectra show that almost all the alkene and arene ligands in stoichiometric excess form labile 1:2 cationic complexes with Ag(I) which are easily decomposed by collisional activation to the 1:l species. However, with a deficiency of organic ligand polymeric species are observed. The cation [Ag(cod)2]+ (cod = 1,5-cyclooctadiene) was reacted with a variety of other potential ligands, such as PPh3, AsPh3, PhSCHSPh etc. In most cases, mixed complexes [Ag(cod)(ligand)]+ were observed, and excess ligand usually produced [Ag(ligand)2]+.