Gold Carbene or Carbenoid: Is There a Difference?

Abstract

By reviewing the recent progress on the eluci- dation of the structure of gold carbenes and the defini- tions of metal carbenes and carbenoids, we recommend to use the term gold carbene to describe gold carbene-like intermediates, regardless of whether the carbene or car- bocation extreme resonance dominates. Gold carbenes, because of the weak metal-to-carbene p-back-donation and their strongly electrophilic reactivity, could be classi- fied into the broader family of Fischer carbenes, although their behavior and properties are very specific.