Gold-carbene complexes are essential intermediates in many gold-catalyzed organic-synthetic transformations. While gold-carbene complexes with direct, vinylogous, or phenylogous heteroatom substitution have been synthesized and characterized, the observation in the condensed phase of electronically non-stabilized gold-carbenes has so far remained elusive. The sterically extremely shielded, emerald-green complex [IPr**Au=CMes2](+)[NTf2](-) has now been synthesized, isolated, and fully characterized. Its absorption maximum at 642 nm, in contrast to 528 nm of the red-purple carbocation [Mes2CH](+), clearly demonstrates that gold is more than just a "soft proton".

Salts of a copper and a silver carbene complex were prepared from dimesityl diazomethane, made possible by the steric shielding of the N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ancillary ligand IPr**. The mint-green complex [IPr**Ag=CMes2 ](+) [NTf2 ](-) is the first isolated silver carbene complex without heteroatom donor substituents. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction provides evidence for a predominant carbenoid character, and supports the postulation of such reactive species as intermediates in silver-catalyzed C-H activation reactions. The greenish yellow copper carbene complex [IPr**Cu=CMes2 ](+) [NTf2 ](-) has spectroscopic properties in between the isostructural silver complex and the already reported emerald green gold carbene complex. A comparison in the Group 11 series indicates that relativistic effects are responsible for the strong σ bond and the significant π back-bonding in the gold carbene moiety.

1-Naphthylcarbenoids are generated via 1,2-acyl migration and subsequent carbene shift from simple, easily available diyne starting materials. These highly reactive species were allowed to react with differently substituted alkenes in both intermolecular and intramolecular fashions. In the intermolecular cases even a simple 1:1 ratio of the starting materials delivered the corresponding cyclopropylnaphthalenes in high yields by the use of a goldA C H T U N G T R E N N U N G (III) catalyst. The methodology offers a completely new approach to these valuable targets, the new route represents an efficient alternative to common methods that are based on cross-coupling strategies.

Aromatic diyne systems bearing one terminal propargylic acetate moiety and one tertiary propargylic alcohol subunit were converted in the presence of a gold catalyst. After an initial 1,2-migration of the acetoxy group at the terminal alkyne, a gold carbenoid is formed which is then transferred onto the internal alkyne of the propargylic alcohol. This combination enables the use of propargylic acetates as precursors for a gold-catalyzed pinacol-type rearrangement. In the final pinacol-like step the shift of an alkyl or aryl moiety onto an electrophilic gold carbenoid/cation terminates the reaction and 1-naphthyl ketones are obtained as products. If electron-rich aromatic backbones are used, a mechanistically interesting alternative pathway including a retro-Buchner reaction is opened.

Goldcarben-Komplexe sind essentielle Intermediate in vielen Gold-katalysierten synthetischen Transformationen. Während Goldcarbene mit direkter, vinyloger oder phenyloger Heteroatomstabilisierung schon synthetisiert und charakterisiert worden sind, waren elektronisch nichtstabilisierte Goldcarbene bislang schwer zu beobachten. Wir haben nun einen sterisch extrem abgeschirmten, smaragdgrünen Komplex [IPr**Au = CMes 2 ] + [NTf 2 ] À synthetisiert, isoliert und vollständig charakterisiert. Sein Absorptionsmaximum bei 642 nm, im Vergleich zu 528 nm des rotpurpurnen Carbokations [Mes 2 CH] + , zeigt klar, dass Gold mehr ist als nur ein "weiches Proton".