Gold-Catalyzed Homogeneous (Cyclo)Isomerization Reactions

• Main Authors: Marta Marín-Luna, Olalla Nieto Faza, Carlos Silva López
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2019-05-01
• Series: Frontiers in Chemistry
• Subjects: gold; catalysis; isomerization; allenes; 1, n-enynes; 1, n-diynes
• Online Access: https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fchem.2019.00296/full

Gold is currently one of the most used metals in organometallic catalysis. The ability of gold to activate unsaturated groups in different modes, together with its tolerance to a wide range of functional groups and reaction conditions, turns gold-based complexes into efficient and highly sought after catalysts. Natural products and relevant compounds with biological and pharmaceutical activity are often characterized by complex molecular structures. (Cyclo)isomerization reactions are often a useful strategy for the generation of this molecular complexity from synthetically accessible reactants. In this review, we collect the most recent contributions in which gold(I)- and/or gold(III)-catalysts mediate intramolecular (cyclo)isomerization transformations of unsaturated species, which commonly feature allene or alkyne motifs, and organize them depending on the substrate and the reaction type.