Electrochemistry and Gold Catalysis: Unusual Allies in Redox Mediated Organic Reactions

Devising advanced protocols to avoid harsh oxidants is of paramount interest in gold catalyzed redox reactions. To address this issue, electrochemical oxidation of precatalytic Au^I complexes to catalytically active Au^III in situ species has started to emerge as a potential alternative. Such endeavours not only unlocked the possibility of direct anodic oxidation of Au^I to Au^III, but also enables stepwise oxidation of Au^I to Au^II to Au^III through the mediation of electro-generated organic radicals. Induction of these apt redox events opened the gates for several cross-coupling and cyclization reactions. Therefore, the prime focus of this review is to summarize the foundational studies laid on electro-redox strategies for oxidant-free gold catalyzed reactions. Wherever required, we covered insightful discussions on the limited examples by correlating the role of electrolytes, catalysts, electrodes, and solvents contributing for reactivity as well as selectivity of such reactions.