Carboxylation of C−H Bonds Using N-Heterocyclic Carbene Gold(I) Complexes

A highly efficient [(NHC)Au(I)]-based (NHC = N-heterocyclic carbene) catalytic system for the carboxylation of aromatic and heteroaromatic C-H bonds was developed. The significant base strength of the Au-OH species is at the origin of the activation process and permits the facile functionalization of C-H bonds without the use of other organometallic reagents.