Gold Catalyzed Asymmetric Transformations

*Susana Porcel García*

## **Abstract**

In this chapter, the strategies developed to attain asymmetric reactions with gold are disclosed. Because of its preferred linear arrangement, to induce asymmetry, gold(I) needs to fulfill one of the following requirements: a) the use of bulky chiral ligands, that create a chiral pocket around the active site, b) the coordination to bifunctional ligands capable to establish secondary interactions with substrates, or c) tight ion pairing with chiral counteranions. On the other hand, gold(III) profits of a square-planar coordination mode, which approaches chiral ligands to substrates. However, its tendency to be reduced leads to difficulties for its applications in catalytic asymmetric transformations. Pioneering works using cyclometaled structures, have found the balance between stability and activity, showing its potential in asymmetric transformations.

**Keywords:** gold, catalysis, bulky ligands, bifunctional ligands, ion pairing
