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Updated: Jun 11, 2026

Millifluidics for Chemical Synthesis and Time-resolved Mechanistic Studies
Published on: November 27, 2013
The trans-influence in gold chemistry from a catalytic perspective
1School of Chemistry, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, NR4 7TJ, Norwich, United Kingdom.
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Gold catalysis has developed into an increasingly important method in organic synthesis. Especially the potential of gold(I,III) redox systems and gold(III) complexes has more recently become a focus of interest. Although often underestimated or not considered, the ligand trans-influence is a crucial factor in determining the reactivity of gold(III) compounds; it modifies not only bond polarisation, dissociation energies and thermal stability but also controls the nature of the gold frontier orbitals. This Perspective highlights recent insights into the origins and consequences of the ligand trans-influence and its importance for the energetics of gold-catalysed reactions, with special emphasis on the trans-influence in gold(III) hydrides and recent mechanistic insights.
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