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Updated: Feb 3, 2026

Enzymatic Cascade Reactions for the Synthesis of Chiral Amino Alcohols from L-lysine
Published on: February 16, 2018
Chiral AuI - and AuIII -Isothiourea Complexes: Synthesis, Characterization and Application
Danila Gasperini1, Mark D Greenhalgh1, Rehan Imad2
1EaStCHEM, School of Chemistry, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9ST, UK.
Abstract:
During an investigation into the potential union of Lewis basic isothiourea organocatalysis and gold catalysis, the formation of gold-isothiourea complexes was observed. These novel gold complexes were formed in high yield and were found to be air- and moisture stable. A series of neutral and cationic chiral gold(I) and gold(III) complexes bearing enantiopure isothiourea ligands was therefore synthesized and fully characterized. The steric and electronic properties of the isothiourea ligands was assessed through calculation of their percent buried volume and the synthesis and analysis of novel iridium(I)-isothiourea carbonyl complexes. The novel gold(I)- and gold(III)-isothiourea complexes have been applied in preliminary catalytic and biological studies, and display promising preliminary levels of catalytic activity and potency towards cancerous cell lines and clinically relevant enzymes.
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