Gold catalysis has developed into an increasingly important method in organic synthesis. Especially the potential of gold(I,III) redox systems and gold(III) complexes has more recently become a focus of interest. Although often underestimated or not considered, the ligand trans -influence is a crucial factor in determining the reactivity of gold(III) compounds; it modifies not only bond polarisation, dissociation energies and thermal stability but also controls the nature of the gold frontier orbitals. This Perspective highlights recent insights into the origins and consequences of the ligand trans -influence and its importance for the energetics of gold-catalysed reactions, with special emphasis on the trans -influence in gold(III) hydrides and recent mechanistic insights.
Manfred Bochmann (Mon,) studied this question.