The first attempts in organosilver were recorded by Buckton in 1859[2] and by J. A. Wanklyn & L. Carius in 1861.[3] The synthesis of methyl silver was described by Semerano and Riccoboni[4] Poor thermal stability is reflected in decomposition temperatures of AgMe (-50 °C) versus CuMe (-15 °C) and PhAg (74 °C) vs PhCu (100 °C).[5]
Phenylsilver can be obtained by reaction of silver nitrate with a trialkylphenyllead or diphenylzinc:[6]
Ph2Zn + AgNO3 → PhAg + "PhZnNO3"
Like all silver complexes, organosilver compounds have coordination numbers ≥2. For example, mesitylsilver is a tetramer with 2-coordinate Ag(I) centers. It is produced by reaction of silver chloride and the Grignard reagent:[7]
A variety of organosilver compounds include phosphorus ylides. A simple example is the pentafluorophenylsilver complex of methylenetriphenylphosphorane:[8]
AgC6F5 + Ph3P=CH2 → Ph3P=CH2−AgC6F5
Alkenylsilver compounds are also more stable than their alkylsilver counterparts. Vinylsilver can be obtained by reaction of silver nitrate with tetravinyllead:[9]
Following established trends, perfluorinated alkyl and alkenyl derivatives of silver exhibit significant thermal stability. An alkenyl derivatives are generated by the addition of silver fluoride to hexafluorobutyne and tetrafluoroallene.[10][11]
AgF + CF2=CF(CF3) → AgCF(CF3)2
Organosilver compounds usually have the oxidation state +1. A notable exception is Ag(CF3)4−.
Silver forms relatively fragile complexes with CO, including [Ag(CO)n]+ (n = 1, 2, 3).[12] The green, planar, paramagnetic Ag(CO)3 is stable at 6–15 K and dimerizes at 25–30 K, probably by forming Ag–Ag bonds. Additionally, the silver carbonyl [Ag(CO)] [B(OTeF5)4] is known.
Like other heavy d10 metal ions, Ag+ has a pronounced affinity for alkenes. The ability of silver to form alkene complexes has long been exploited in the separation of alkenes by "argentation chromatography", which uses a support containing silver salts.[15] Illustrative is [Ag(C2H4)3]+.[16]
W.A. Herrmann, ed. (1999). Synthetic Methods of Organometallic and Inorganic Chemistry. Vol. 5, Copper, Silver, Gold, Zinc, Cadmium, and Mercury. Stuttgart: Thieme. ISBN3-13-103061-5.
Christoph Elschenbroich (2006). Organometallics (3 ed.). Weinheim: Wiley-VCH. ISBN3-527-29390-6.
The Chemistry of Organic Derivatives of Gold and Silver. Edited by Saul Patai and Zvi Rappoport Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. ISBN0-471-98164-8
^Pouwer, Rebecca H.; Williams, Craig M. (2010). "Silver Alkyls, Alkenyls, Aryls, and Alkynyls in Organic Synthesis". Silver in Organic Chemistry. pp. 1–41. doi:10.1002/9780470597521.ch1. ISBN9780470597521.
^Semerano, G.; Riccoboni, L. (1941). "Beitrag zur Kenntnis der metallorganischen Verbindungen, I. Mitteil.: Silbermethyl, Silber-äthyl und Silber-n-propyl". Berichte der Deutschen Chemischen Gesellschaft (A and B Series). 74 (7): 1089. doi:10.1002/cber.19410740703.
^Strauss, Steven H. (2000). "Copper(I) and silver(I) carbonyls. To be or not to be nonclassical". Journal of the Chemical Society, Dalton Transactions: 1–6. doi:10.1039/A908459B.
^Wang, Harrison M. J.; Lin, Ivan J. B. (1998). "Facile Synthesis of Silver(I)−Carbene Complexes. Useful Carbene Transfer Agents". Organometallics. 17 (5): 972. doi:10.1021/om9709704.
^Rencken, Ilmarie; Boeyens, Jan C. A.; Orchard, S. Walter (1988). "Crystal Structures of the trans-Cyclooctene Complexes of Copper(I) Chloride and Silver Nitrate". Journal of Crystallographic and Spectroscopic Research. 18 (3): 293–306. doi:10.1007/BF01194320. S2CID94984101.