Elementary steps of gold catalysis: NMR spectroscopy reveals the highly cationic character of a "gold carbenoid".
What are you? Even though the metal-induced ring opening of 3,3-disubstituted cyclopropenes is known to serve as a genuine carbene generator, the use of Au(I) in this reaction leads to a reactive intermediate with highly cationic character. This result has important implications for gold catalysis in general, which in the past has been commonly attributed to the intervention of gold carbenes.
Seidel
Günter
G
Max-Planck-Institut für Kohlenforschung, 45470 Mülheim/Ruhr, Germany.
Mynott
Richard
R
Fürstner
Alois
A