Going for gold

摘要

Transition metal catalysts containing gold, especially cationic phosphine-gold(1) complexes, are emerging as powerful catalysts for a growing number of synthetic transformations. Theoretical studies on gold, particularly relativistic effects, can provide a framework for rationalizing the observed reactivity of these catalysts. David Gorin and F. Dean Toste draw on experimental and computational data to present our current understanding of homogeneous gold catalysis.