An asymmetric gold(I)-catalyzed [3+2] cycloaddition of propargyl acetals/ketals and aldehydes is reported, which proceeds via stepwise migration-fragmentation of acetals/ketals and cycloaddition of the in situ generated gold-carbenoid intermediate. Various functionalized 2, 5-dihydrofurans were obtained in good yields and high enantioselectivities. Furthermore, an example of the first gold(I) catalyzed [3+3] cycloaddition of secondary propargyl ketals and nitrones is presented.

Low-valent late transition-metal catalysis has become indispensable to chemical synthesis, but homogeneous high-valent transition-metal catalysis is underdeveloped, mainly owing to the reactivity of high-valent transition-metal complexes and the challenges associated with synthesizing them. Here we report a carbon-carbon bond cleavage at ambient conditions by a Au(i) complex that generates a stable Au(iii) cationic complex. In contrast to the well-established soft and carbophilic Au(i) catalyst, this Au(iii) complex exhibits hard, oxophilic Lewis acidity. For example, we observed catalytic activation of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes towards selective conjugate additions as well as activation of an unsaturated aldehyde-allene for a [2 + 2] cycloaddition reaction. The origin of the regioselectivity and catalytic activity was elucidated by X-ray crystallographic analysis of an isolated Au(iii)-activated cinnamaldehyde intermediate. The concepts revealed suggest a strategy for accessing high-valent transition-metal catalysis from readily available precursors.