Ligand-Enabled Sustainable Gold Catalysis

Gold catalysis has emerged as an efficient tool in the field of synthetic organic chemistry. Despite the significant progress, the need for high catalyst loadings has mainly hampered its applicability in large-scale synthesis. Recent research has showcased the importance of ligand engineering to realize gold-catalyzed organic transformations at low catalyst loadings, at milder reactions conditions, and in greener solvents. In this perspective, we summarized the reports that clearly emphasize the crucial role of ligands in achieving the highly efficient gold-catalyzed organic transformations at low catalysts loadings (<= 0.1 mol %) with high turnover numbers and turnover frequencies. This perspective also briefly discusses the challenges and future potential for the development of ppm-level gold catalysis.

Automated summary

Gold catalysis is an efficient tool in synthetic organic chemistry, but high catalyst loadings limit its application in large-scale synthesis. Recent research emphasizes the importance of ligand engineering in achieving low catalyst loadings, milder reaction conditions, and greener solvents for gold-catalyzed organic transformations. This perspective summarizes key reports and discusses the challenges and potential for ppm-level gold catalysis.