A critical review is given of the chemistry of macrocycles, catenanes, oligomers and polymers in gold chemistry. Because gold centres are typically labile towards ligand substitution, there may be an easy equilibrium between the cyclic and linear oligomeric or polymeric forms and the preferred products of self-assembly are usually determined by thermodynamic control. The ways in which the self-assembly of complex structures from simple building blocks by dynamic coordination chemistry can be manipulated by ligand design or by the use of secondary bonding forces is emphasized (39 references).

Interesting molecular architectures are obtained by self-assembly from silver(I) trifluoroacetate with a combination of the diphosphine ligands [Ph₂P(CH₂)_nPPh₂, n = 1–6] and trans-1,2-bis(4-pyridyl)ethylene (bipyen); in complexes with stoichiometry Ag₂(O₂CCF₃)₂{Ph₂ P(CH₂)_nPPh₂}(bipyen), the complexes crystallize in the form of macrocyclic rings [Ag₄(O₂CCF₃)₄{μ-Ph ₂P(CH₂)_nPPh₂} ₂(μ-bipyen)₂] when n = 1 or 5, but as a one-dimensional polymer [{Ag₂(O₂CCF₃)₂{μ- Ph₂P(CH₂)_nPPh₂}( μ-bipyen)}_x] when n = 6. The complex [{Ag{μ-Ph₂P(CH₂)₃PPh₂ }(μ-bipyen)}_x](CF₃CO ₂)_x has a novel network structure.