Density Functional Theory Study of Gold-Catalyzed 1,2-Diarylation of Alkenes: π-Activation versus Migratory Insertion Mechanisms

Syn-Aminoauration versus Anti-Aminoauration of Alkynes in Au(I)/Au(III) Catalysis: Understanding the Origin of Selectivity

There is no experimental evidence of whether such gold-catalyzed aminoauration reactions follow the anti- and/or syn-pathway, and hence, to understand the origin of the selectivity in Au(I)- and Au(III)-catalyzed reactions of alkynes, a thorough mechanistic study was performed using DFT methods. The NBO and ASM analyses provided significant information about the structure-stability-reactivity of the pathway-determining states (PDS). This study further reveals that the oxidation states and geometries of gold, the steric bulk, and the dihedral angles of the PDS direct the mechanistic pathways and control the turnover frequency.

Heart of gold: enabling ligands for oxidative addition of haloorganics in Au(I)/Au(III) catalysed cross-coupling reactions

The field of Au-catalysis has been an area rich with new discoveries due to the unique properties of the lustrous element. In the past decade, developments in Au(I)/Au(III) cross-coupling methodology have been made possible with the use of external oxidants that facilitate the challenging oxidation of Au(I) to Au(III) in a stable and catalytically competent fashion. Until recently, Au-chemistry was not known to undergo catalytic transformations that feature oxidative addition of haloarenes like those that were made famous by transition metals such as Pd and Ni. The discovery that ligand modification could facilitate the oxidative addition of Au(I) with haloorganics to provide Au(III) intermediates that are competent in other areas of catalysis (i.e. Lewis acid catalysis) has revolutionized this field and has led to the invention of new cross-coupling methodology. The recent advances at the leading edge in the emerging field of Au(I)/Au(III) catalysis under redox-neutral conditions are highlighted.

Mechanistic Insights about the Ligand-Enabled Oxy-arylation/vinylation of Alkenes via Au(I)/Au(III) Catalysis

The mechanism of oxy-arylation/vinylation of alkenes catalyzed by the (MeDalphos)AuCl complex was comprehensively investigated by DFT. (P,N)Au(Ph)²⁺ and (P,N)Au(vinyl)²⁺ are key intermediates accounting for the activation of the alkenols and for their cyclization by outer-sphere nucleophilic attack of oxygen. The 5-exo and 6-endo paths have been computed and compared, reproducing the peculiar regioselectivity difference observed experimentally between 4-penten-1-ol, (E) and (Z)-4-hexen-1-ols. Examining the way the alkenol coordinates to gold (more η² or η¹ ) can offer, in some cases, a simple way to predict the favored path of cyclization.