Homogeneous and Heterogeneous Gold Catalysis for Materials Science

Often stoichiometric amounts of gold find use in materials science; occasionally gold is even used as a support. This review discusses the contributions of gold catalysis, both homogeneous and heterogeneous, to the field of materials science. One topic is the synthesis of polymers, including nanowires and polyesters, the postcyclization of polymers, polymerization by cyclopropanation, and gold-catalyzed radical polymerization reactions. Other topics are dyes, phosphonium salts, and a wide range of extended conjugated pi-systems, the latter ranging from acenes, pentalene derivatives, and different heterocyclic pi-systems to fascinating applications in the synthesis of helical anellated aromatic molecules. The existing contributions clearly demonstrate the potential of gold catalysis for significant future impulses for the field of materials science.

Automated summary

Gold catalysis plays an important role in the field of materials science, contributing to polymer synthesis, radical polymerization reactions, and the study of extended conjugated pi-systems. The potential of gold catalysis for significant future advancements in materials science is clearly demonstrated through existing contributions.