Abstract An N-heterocyclic carbene gold complex IPr** AuNTf 2 has been synthesized, spectroscopically investigated, structurally characterized, and used as a highly active and stable catalyst in the Hashmi phenol synthesis (IPr**= 1, 3-di-p-tolylimidazol-2-ylidene with four di-tert-butylbenzhydryl ortho substituents, Tf= trifluoromethansulfonyl). A side reaction comprises an irreversible arene oxide ring opening with subsequent 1, 2 methyl shift. The ...
