Max‐Planck‐Institut für Kohlenforschung, 45470 Mülheim/Ruhr (Germany), Fax: (+49)?208‐306‐2994
Abstract:
What are you? Even though the metal‐induced ring opening of 3,3‐disubstituted cyclopropenes is known to serve as a genuine carbene generator, the use of AuI in this reaction leads to a reactive intermediate with highly cationic character. This result has important implications for gold catalysis in general, which in the past has been commonly attributed to the intervention of gold carbenes.