However, having established this alternative reaction route, we then turned our attention to the These data demonstrate that the successful synthesis of gold complexes containing C^N^C chelates requires an initially well-controlled C-H bond activation step. This may be through both stoichiometric (Pd and Hg) or catalytic (Rh) conditions. Although each of reagents we have explored probably operates in a mechanistically distinct fashion to achieve selective C-H bond activation, it is clear that for this ligand-class simple gold salts are not able to perform this transformation. It is therefore evident that there is considerable potential in exploiting the advances in transition metal-catalysed C-H bond functionalisation chemistry that have been applied to the synthesis of complex organic molecules 26 to the preparation of metal complexes with novel and important materials properties.