Cationic Gold(I) Complexes: Highly Efficient Catalysts for the Addition of Alcohols to Alkynes

Gold complexes are almost unknown in homogeneous catalysis, and for a long time gold was even thought of as "catalytically dead". This is clearly not the case for cationic phosphanegold(I) complexes (see reaction below), which can catalyze the addition of alcohols to alkynes with turnover frequencies up to 1.5 s^-1 and total turnover numbers up to 10⁵ ! R=H, alkyl, Ph, CH₂ OH.