Au–Pd Bimetallic Catalysis: The Importance of Anionic Ligands in Catalyst Speciation

Synergistic gold–palladium
catalytic processes have been
intensively sought during the past decade, because the combination
of the carbophilic Lewis acidity of Au with the redox properties of
Pd within a catalytic cycle is particularly appealing for the synthesis
of novel functionalized compounds. We demonstrate here the feasibility
of a Au–Pd bimetallic catalytic system based on the generation
of competent Au and Pd species by anionic ligand exchange. This strategy
enabled the preparation of a variety of substituted butenolides in
a simple and efficient way.