Gold Vinylidenes as Useful Intermediates in Synthetic Organic Chemistry

Abstract

Gold vinylidenes have recently emerged as useful intermediates in synthetic organic chemistry. These species, which can principally be accessed by a 1,2-migration process from a gold-activated alkyne or by dual gold catalysis on a diyne substrate, can react with nucleophilic partners or by C–H insertion to produce a variety of functionalized (poly)cyclic compounds. This short review covers the synthetic approaches developed so far to access gold vinylidenes and the different reactivities these species can exhibit.1 Introduction2 1,2-Migration Processes3 Dual Gold Catalysis4 Other Processes5 Conclusion