Gold-based enantioselective bimetallic catalysis

Abstract

Multimetallic catalysis is a powerful strategy to access complex molecular scaffolds efficiently from easily available starting materials. Numerous reports in the literature have demonstrated the effectiveness of this approach, particularly for capitalizing on enantioselective transformations. Interestingly, gold joined the race of transition metals very late making its use in multimetallic catalysis unthinkable. Recent literature revealed that there is an urgent need to develop gold-based multicatalytic systems based on the combination of gold with other metals for enabling enantioselective transformations that are not possible to capitalize with the use of a single catalyst alone. This review article highlights the progress made in the field of enantioselective gold-based bimetallic catalysis highlighting the power of multicatalysis for accessing new reactivities and selectivities which are beyond the reach of individual catalysts.