The development of ligands that can promote selective insertion of a metal into primary or secondary C(sp3)–H bonds is a central challenge in the field of C–H functionalization. Here, we report a rare example of catalyst-controlled primary and secondary C(sp3)–H arylation using two different ligands. Successive application of these ligands enables the sequential hetero-diarylation of an alanine derivative with two different aryl iodides affording a wide range of β-Ar-β-Ar'-α-amino acids with excellent levels of diastereoselectivity (d.r. > 20:1). Both configurations of the β-chiral center can be accessed by choosing the order in which the aryl iodides are installed, thus demonstrating the potential to construct tertiary chiral centers from a simple methyl group. The realization of this reactivity by electronic and steric modulation of the ligands may provide fundamental guidance for the future design of more effective and selective catalysts for C(sp3)–H activation.

Abstraction of chloride anion from Au(I) complexes such as JohnPhosAuCl in noncoordinating solvents with 1 equiv of a silver salt, or even larger amounts, leads to the formation of chloride-bridged dinuclear gold(I) complexes, irrespective of the counteranion, which are substantially less reactive as catalysts. This incomplete removal of chloride ligand could lead to false negative results when using the in situ generation of the gold(I) active species by silver-promoted chloride abstraction.

We disclose a protocol for the palladium-catalyzed ortho-selective C-H deuteration of arenes. Phenylacetic acids and benzoic acids are suitable substrates for this reaction. This reaction offers a catalytic route to ortho-deuterated phenylacetic acids and benzoic acids and demonstrates the sharp difference in reactivity of palladacycle intermediates held together by weak and strong coordination.

From a series of gold complexes of the type [t-BuXPhosAu(MeCN)]X (X=anion), the best results in intermolecular gold(I)-catalyzed reactions are obtained with the complex with the bulky and soft anion BAr4F− [BAr4F−=3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenylborate] improving the original protocols by 10–30% yield. A kinetic study on the [2+2] cycloaddition reaction of alkynes with alkenes is consistent with an scenario in which the rate-determining step is the ligand exchange to generate the (η2-phenylacetylene)gold(I) complex. We have studied in detail the subtle differences that can be attributed to the anion in this formation, which result in a substantial decrease in the formation of unproductive σ,π-(alkyne)digold(I) complexes by destabilizing the conjugated acid formed.

The frog prince with his two identities pales in comparison with the shape-shifting barbaralyl cation, which exists as a mixture of 181,400 degenerate forms. Gold-catalyzed cycloisomerizations of 7-alkynyl cyclohepta-1,3,5-trienes were found to proceed via fluxional barbaralyl intermediates. The evolution of the intermediates into 1- or 2-substituted indenes could be controlled by the choice of gold complex.