title: Cycloisomerization versus hydration reactions in aqueous media: a Au(III)-NHC catalyst that makes the difference.
abstract: A novel water-soluble Au(III)-NHC complex has been synthesized and successfully applied in the intramolecular cyclization of γ-alkynoic acids into enol-lactones under biphasic toluene/water conditions, thus representing a rare example of an active and selective catalyst for this transformation in aqueous media. Remarkably, competing alkyne hydration processes were not observed, even during the desymmetrization reaction of challenging 1,6-diyne substrates. In addition, after phase separation, the water-soluble Au(III) catalyst could be recycled 10 times without loss of activity or selectivity.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Compuestos Organometálicos y Catálisis (Unidad Asociada al CSIC), Departamento de Química Orgánica e Inorgánica, Universidad de Oviedo, Julián Clavería 8, E-33006 Oviedo, Spain, ChimieParisTech, Laboratoire Charles Friedel, ENSCP, UMR 7223, 11 rue P. et M. Curie, F-75231, Paris Cedex 05, France, and Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Instituto de Investigaciones Químicas (IIQ), CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla, Avda. Américo Vespucio 49, E-41092, Sevilla, Spain.
authors.forename: Eder
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tomás-Mendivil
authors.forename: Patrick Y
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Toullec
authors.forename: Josefina
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Díez
authors.forename: Salvador
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Conejero
authors.forename: Véronique
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Michelet
authors.forename: Victorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Cadierno