Gold(I) and gold(III) complexes have an important place in the field of metal catalysis. Gold(I) is mainly used for activation of multiple bonds towards additions and subsequent cascade reactions whereas gold(III) has been utilized as a catalyst in various coupling reactions. Conversely, reports on gold(II) chemistry are sparse. The gold(II) complexes are usually unstable and tend to disproportionate to the gold(I) and gold(III) complexes. The destabilization of the gold(II) oxidation state is due to the relativistic effects which are responsible for an expansion and energy destabilization of the 5d shell and contraction of the 6s electron shell. As a result, the contribution of the 5d electrons to the valence shell increases. The ionization of 5d electrons is then associated with the Jahn-Teller distortion which leads to a large energy splitting of the dz2 and dx2-y2 energy levels. Thus, gold is easily ionized to the gold(III) state with all electrons paired. Heinze and co-workers reported a series of stable monomeric gold(II) complexes supported by porphyrin ligands. The preparation of the gold(II) complexes relied on the reduction of the corresponding gold(III) precursors. In order to avoid the subsequent reduction to gold(I), the authors used cobaltocene (E½ = -1.3 V vs Fc/Fc + couple) which matched the redox potential for the first reduction potential of the gold(III) complex. The only reactivity of gold(II) complexes studied so far was based on electron transfer processes. It could be expected that complexes with a labile coordination site could coordinate reactive molecules and thus promote some reactivity beyond the electron transfer. Therefore, we aimed at exploring the preparation and properties of gold(II) complexes with bidentate and tridentate ligands.