Chapter 16: Sustainable Homogeneous Gold Catalysis

The field of homogeneous gold chemistry has extraordinarily expanded in recent decades. As a consequence, a myriad of gold-catalysed transformations have been reported. However, the focus has been on the development of new reactivity, rather than on developing sustainable processes. Therefore, in order to raise awareness of the importance of sustainable chemistry, in this chapter we will discuss relevant aspects and selected examples of homogeneous gold catalysis that comply with the “12 Principles of Green Chemistry”. Among the selected examples are: the use of well-defined catalysts that render the use of additives unnecessary; efficient transformations promoted at very low catalyst loadings; solvent-free transformations or reactions promoted in water or ionic liquids; oxidation reactions using green oxidants; and finally, transformations that can be carried out at room temperature.