Regioselective hydration of terminal alkynes catalyzed by a neutral gold(I) complex [(IPr)AuCl] and one-pot synthesis of optically active secondary alcohols from terminal alkynes by the combination of [(IPr)AuCl] and Cp*RhCl[(R,R)-TsDPEN].

A neutral gold(I) complex [(IPr)AuCl] (IPr = 1,3-bis(diisopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene) was found to be a highly effective catalyst for the hydration of terminal alkynes, including aromatic alkynes and aliphatic alkynes. The desired methyl ketones were obtained in high yields with complete regioselectivities. Furthermore, a series of optically active secondary alcohols could be obtained in high yield with good to excellent enatioselectivities via one-pot sequential hydration/asymmetric transfer hydrogenation (ATH) from terminal alkynes by the combination of of [(IPr)AuCl] and CpRhCl[(R,R)-TsDPEN] (Cp = pentamethylcyclopentadienyl, TsDPEN = N-(p-toluenesulfonyl)-1,2-diphenylethylenediamine). Notably, this research exhibited the potential of the direct use of neutral gold(I) complexes instead of cationic ones as catalysts for the activation of multiple bonds for organic synthesis.