On the catalytic activation of water-soluble NHC-Au(I) complexes by sonication and microwave irradiation: A comparative assessment

FERNANDEZ, G.A.; SCHIEL, MARÍA A.; SILBESTRI, GUSTAVO F.

JOURNAL OF ORGANOMETALLIC CHEMISTRY

ELSEVIER SCIENCE SA

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2020

0022-328X

Within the realm of sustainable chemistry and increasing demand for eco-compatible methods, this article describes our attempts to activate some water-soluble N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-based gold(I) complexes under two well-known and safe irradiation protocols: microwaves (MW) and ultrasound (US). A textbook reaction, alkyne hydration, was chosen to assess the performance of such activation protocols and their influence on the catalyst´s ability to drive the reaction to completion. Reactions can easily be conducted in pure water or aqueous methanol (1:1). We show that sonication significantly enhances this transformation affording the product in higher yields and shorter reaction times than non-assisted reactions in water, while MW energy gives the desire product in quantitative yield in water:methanol after just 1 min.