Self-assembly of triatomic gold units as supporting frames for a large gold diphenylphosphinite cage molecule†

A novel hexanuclear cage-type double-decker cation [FB-(OPP2Au)3Cl3(AuPPh2O)3BF]+ is obtained in high yield as the tetrafluoroborate salt from a dinuclear diphenyl-phosphinous acid complex [Ph2P(OH)AuCl]2 upon treatment with BF3·OEt2.