title: Gold for the generation and control of fluxional barbaralyl cations.
abstract: The frog prince with his two identities pales in comparison with the shape-shifting barbaralyl cation, which exists as a mixture of 181,400 degenerate forms. Gold-catalyzed cycloisomerizations of 7-alkynyl cyclohepta-1,3,5-trienes were found to proceed via fluxional barbaralyl intermediates. The evolution of the intermediates into 1- or 2-substituted indenes could be controlled by the choice of gold complex.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chemical Research of Catalonia, Tarragona, Spain.
authors.forename: Paul R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: McGonigal
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: de León
authors.forename: Yahui
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Homs
authors.forename: César R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Solorio-Alvarado
authors.forename: Antonio M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Echavarren