Gold-catalyzed glycosylation in the synthesis of complex carbohydrate-containing natural products

The methodological developments in gold(i)- and gold(iii)-catalyzed glycosylation reactions are fully surveyed, which exploit the special alkynophilicity or the Lewis acidity of the gold cationic complexes. The application of the new methods in the total synthesis of naturally occurring glycoconjugates and glycans is comprehensively reviewed, with a focus on glycosylation of various complex aglycones.