Gold-Catalyzed Migration of Propargyl Acetate as an Entry into the Total Synthesis of Natural Products

Gold catalysis has emerged over the last two decades as a protocole of choice for the efficient and selective activation of a variety of organic functional groups. This has served to the total synthesis of natural products at several occasions. In this context, the gold-catalyzed migration (1,2- or 1,3-) of propargyl acetates has been particularly used. This review highlights these different synthetic developments which are presented according to the involved mechanisms.