Although homogeneous gold catalysis was known previously, an exponential growth was only induced 12 years ago. The key findings which induce that rise of the field are discussed. This includes early reactions of allenes and furanynes and intermediates of these conversions as well as hydroarylation reactions. Other substrate types addressed are alkynyl epoxides and N-propargyl carboxamides. Important vinylgold intermediates, the transmetalation from gold to other transition metals, the development of new ligands for gold catalysis, and significant contributions from computational chemistry are other crucial points for the field highlighted here.

Gold-Catalyzed Organic Reactions

4.2.8. Reductive Coupling 3109 5. Reaction of Aromatic Compounds 3110 5.1. Electrophilic Substitutions 3110 5.2. Radical Substitution 3111 5.3. Oxidative Coupling 3111 5.4. Photochemical Reactions 3111 6. Reaction of Carbonyl Compounds 3111 6.1. Nucleophilic Additions 3111 6.1.1. Allylation 3111 6.1.2. Propargylation 3120 6.1.3. Benzylation 3121 6.1.4. Arylation/Vinylation 3121 6.1.5. Alkynylation 3121 6.1.6. Alkylation 3121 6.1.7. Reformatsky-Type Reaction 3122 6.1.8. Direct Aldol Reaction 3122 6.1.9. Mukaiyama Aldol Reaction 3124 6.1.10. Hydrogen Cyanide Addition 3125 6.2. Pinacol Coupling 3126 6.3. Wittig Reactions 3126 7. Reaction of R,â-Unsaturated Carbonyl Compounds 3127

Organic Reactions in Aqueous Media with a Focus on Carbon−Carbon Bond Formations: A Decade Update

The ability of platinum and gold catalysts to effect powerful atom-economic transformations has led to a marked increase in their utilization. The quite remarkable correlation of their catalytic behavior with the available structural data, coordination chemistry, and organometallic reactivity patterns, including relativistic effects, allows the underlying principles of catalytic carbophilic activation by π acids to be formulated. The spectrum of reactivity extends beyond their utility as catalytic and benign alternatives to conventional stoichiometric π acids. The resulting reactivity profile allows this entire field of catalysis to be rationalized, and brings together the apparently disparate electrophilic metal carbene and nonclassical carbocation explanations. The advances in coupling, cycloisomerization, and structural reorganization—from the design of new transformations to the improvement to known reactions—are highlighted in this Review. The application of platinum- and gold-catalyzed transformations in natural product synthesis is also discussed.

Catalytic Carbophilic Activation: Catalysis by Platinum and Gold π Acids

1.1. Context and Meta-Review
Despite the ubiquity of metallic gold (Au) in popular culture, its deployment in homogeneous catalysis has only recently undergone widespread investigation. In the past decade, and especially since 2004, great progress has been made in developing efficient and selective Au-catalyzed transformations, as evidenced by the prodigious number of reviews available on various aspects of this growing field. Hashmi has written a series of comprehensive reviews outlining the progression of Au-catalyzed reaction development,1 and a number of more focused reviews provide further insight into particular aspects of Au catalysis. A brief meta-review of the available range of perspectives published on Au catalysis helps to put this Chemical Reviews article in context.

The vast majority of reactions developed with homogeneous Au catalysts have exploited the propensity of Au to activate carbon-carbon π-bonds as electrophiles. Gold has come to be regarded as an exceedingly mild, relatively carbophilic Lewis acid, and the broad array of newly developed reactions proceeding by activation of unsaturated carbon-carbon bonds has been expertly reviewed.2

Further reviews and highlights on Au catalysis focus on particular classes of synthetic reactions. An excellent comprehensive review of Au-catalyzed enyne cycloisomerizations is available.3 Even more focused highlights on hydroarylation of alkynes,4 hydroamination of C-C multiple bonds,5 and reactions of oxo-alkynes6 and propargylic esters7 provide valuable perspectives on progress and future directions in the development of homogeneous Au catalysis.

Most of the reviews on Au catalysis emphasize broad or specific advances in synthetic utility. Recently, we have invoked relativistic effects to provide a framework for understanding the observed reactivity of Au catalysts, in order to complement empirical advancements.8 In this Chemical Reviews article, we attempt to enumerate the ways in which selectivity can be controlled in homogeneous Au catalysis. It is our hope that lessons to guide catalyst selection and the design of new catalysts may be distilled from a thorough evaluation of ligand, counterion, and oxidation state effects as they influence chemo-, regio-, and stereoselectivity in homogeneous Au catalysis.

http://www.cchem.berkeley.edu/toste/publications/cr068430g.pdf

Ligand effects in homogeneous Au catalysis.

Since the discovery of organic azides by Peter Griess more than 140 years ago, numerous syntheses of these energy-rich molecules have been developed. In more recent times in particular, completely new perspectives have been developed for their use in peptide chemistry, combinatorial chemistry, and heterocyclic synthesis. Organic azides have assumed an important position at the interface between chemistry, biology, medicine, and materials science. In this Review, the fundamental characteristics of azide chemistry and current developments are presented. The focus will be placed on cycloadditions (Huisgen reaction), aza ylide chemistry, and the synthesis of heterocycles. Further reactions such as the aza-Wittig reaction, the Sundberg rearrangement, the Staudinger ligation, the Boyer and Boyer-Aube rearrangements, the Curtius rearrangement, the Schmidt rearrangement, and the Hemetsberger rearrangement bear witness to the versatility of modern azide chemistry.

Organic Azides: An Exploding Diversity of a Unique Class of Compounds

The reaction of vinyl grignard reagents with 2-substituted nitroarenes: A new approach to the synthesis of 7-substituted indoles

Convenient procedures for the chemo- and diastereoselective reduction of β-enamino esters (1) are described. Both cis- and trans-γ-amino al- cohols (2) or β-amino esters (3) can be prepared by reduction of β-ena- mino esters (1), readily available starting materials, with the use of inexpensive reagents Na/i-PrOH or NaHB(OAc) 3 /AcOH, respectively, and the appropriate reduction conditions. The mechanisms and diastereosele- ctivities for the reductions are discussed. The relative configurations and conformations of the diastereoisomeric γ-amino alcohols (2) and β- amino esters (3) obtained are established by 1 H and 13 C NMR study and unequivocally set by their cyclic derivatives tetrahydro-1,3-oxazines (4)

Chemo- and Diastereoselective Reduction of .beta.-Enamino Esters: A Convenient Synthesis of Both cis- and trans-.gamma.-Amino Alcohols and .beta.-Amino Esters

The reduction of enantiopure β-enamino esters 1 with sodium triacetoxyborohydride in acetic acid is described. This occurs with good diastereo- and enantioselectivity to yield β-amino esters 2 and 3 (after hydrogenolysis of the N-chiral group). A model is reported for the origin of the stereoselectivity through an enol ester−diacetoxyborohydride 6, which affords the intramolecular reduction. By choosing the appropriate chiral amine, this procedure allows a straightforward preparation of both the enantiopure β-amino esters and derivatives with known biological activity, using readily available starting materials and inexpensive reagents and conditions.

Stereoselective Reduction of Enantiopure β-Enamino Esters by Hydride: A Convenient Synthesis of Both Enantiopure β-Amino Esters

Electron-rich aromatic compounds such as 2-naphthol give a faster and asymmetric 1-aminoalkylation with high yields when treated with (R)-1-phenylethylamine and aromatic aldehydes in solvent-free conditions. An asymmetric transformation of a second kind, probably induced by the preferential crystallization of one diastereomer, affords the straightforward and stereoselective synthesis of aminoalkylnaphthols. Mechanisms predictable for this asymmetric reaction are reported. The absolute configurations and the conformations of the unknown aminonaphthols are widely ascertained.

Solvent-Free Asymmetric Aminoalkylation of Electron-Rich Aromatic Compounds: Stereoselective Synthesis of Aminoalkylnaphthols by Crystallization-Induced Asymmetric Transformation

The addition of dialkylzincs to aldehydes is accelerated considerably by the presence of a catalytic amount of o -hydroxybenzylamine ( R , R )- 2e to give, after hydrolysis, the corresponding alcohol ( S )- 9 in good enantiomeric purity. The origins of the enantioselection have been elucidated. A strong positive nonlinear relationship was observed for the reaction enantioselctivity with the use of o -hydroxybenzylamine 2e , which is very accessible through a short stereoselective synthetic route. The enantiomeric purity of the product 9 is much higher than the d.e. of the chiral source 2e , and the rate of the enantioselective catalysis increases considerably with the increase of the d.e. of ( R , R )- 2e .

Gianni Palmieri

Papers

The reaction of vinyl grignard reagents with 2-substituted nitroarenes: A new approach to the synthesis of 7-substituted indoles

Chemo- and Diastereoselective Reduction of .beta.-Enamino Esters: A Convenient Synthesis of Both cis- and trans-.gamma.-Amino Alcohols and .beta.-Amino Esters

Stereoselective Reduction of Enantiopure β-Enamino Esters by Hydride: A Convenient Synthesis of Both Enantiopure β-Amino Esters

Solvent-Free Asymmetric Aminoalkylation of Electron-Rich Aromatic Compounds: Stereoselective Synthesis of Aminoalkylnaphthols by Crystallization-Induced Asymmetric Transformation

A practical o-hydroxybenzylamines promoted enantioselective addition of dialkylzincs to aldehydes with asymmetric amplification