Gold-catalyzed synthesis of small-sized carbo- and heterocyclic compounds: A review

Abstract

Research on gold catalysis has flourished over the last 20 years, and gold catalysts are now acknowledged as the “best choice” for a range of organic transformations. Gold complexes have emerged as promising candidates for this use in recent years because of their high reactivity, which enables them to induce a broad range of transformations under mild conditions. Extensive demonstrations have showcased the extraordinary efficiency of synthesizing complex organic compounds from the basic starting components. In addition to its traditional applications in catalysis, gold catalysis has expanded to include the total synthesis of natural compounds, which is a complex and demanding undertaking. The class of molecules known as carbo- and heterocycles, which is arguably the most important, has a significant impact on the synthesis of agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals among the numerous additional products made possible by the novel procedures pioneered. The main topic of this review is how to use Au salts in homogeneous catalysis to create cyclization processes for small heterocyclic and carbocyclic systems. This study gives an overview of most of the books and articles written after 2013 that discuss making three- and four-membered carbo- and heterocyclic rings with gold as a catalyst. We have made every effort to include all outstanding reports on this subject; nonetheless, we apologize for any omissions.