The selectivity of formation of organometallic rings or [2]catenanes [{X(4-C
6H
4OCH
2C
CAu)
2(
-Ph
2PZPPh
2)}
n],
n =1 or 2, respectively, has been studied as a function of thehinge group X and the diphosphine ligand [X = O, S, SO
2, CH
2, CMe
2, CPh
2, C(CF
3)
2, C
6H
10;Z = (CH
2)
m with
m = 2-5]. When Z = (CH
2)
3, mixing of pairs of compounds with different
C2v-symmetrical hinge groups (X, X' = SO
2, CH
2, CMe
2, CPh
2, C(CF
3)
2, C
6H
10) led to formationof an equilibrium mixture containing the unsymmetrical [2]catenanes [{X(4-C
6H
4OCH
2C
CAu)
2(
-Ph
2PZPPh
2)}{X'(4-C
6H
4OCH
2C
CAu)
2(
-Ph
2PZPPh
2)], as identified by NMRspectroscopy. The complexes with Z = (CH
2)
4 exist in solution predominantly as themacrocycles and so do not form analogous mixed diacetylide complexes. When the hingegroup contained a prochiral carbon center (X = CHMe, CMePh, 1,1-indanylidene), only achiralmacrocycles [X(4-C
6H
4OCH
2C
CAu)
2(
-Ph
2PZPPh
2)] were formed in solution when Z =(CH
2)
4, but mixtures containing both achiral macrocycles and chiral [2]catenane were formedwhen Z = (CH
2)
3. In several cases, the solid-state structures of the isolated complexes werenot representative of the structures in solution, with macrocycles being dominant in solutionand [2]catenanes formed preferentially during crystallization.