Abstract

Gold catalysis has emerged as an efficient tool for the selective functionalisation of C−C multiple bonds. Despite significant progress in this field, the potential of asymmetric gold catalysis has not been fully explored to date. A historical retrospect on the progress in this area reveals that enantioselective gold catalysis is based on three pillars: Au(I) catalysis, Au(III) catalysis, and Au(I)/Au(III) redox catalysis. Irrespective of the mode of catalysis being operative, the design of new ligands is crucial for the development of gold-catalysed organic transformations. This minireview summarizes the progress made in the development of ligand design for enantioselective Au(I) catalysis, Au(III) catalysis, and Au(I)/Au(III) redox catalysis focusing on the ligands which were specially designed for gold catalysis.