Catalytic domino amination and oxidative coupling of gold acetylides and isolation of key vinylene digold intermediates as a new class of ditopic N-heterocyclic carbene complexes.

A catalytic domino amination and oxidative coupling of in situ prepared gold acetylides has been developed for the synthesis of abnormal NHC (aNHC) gold complexes, and key vinylene digold intermediates are isolated and structurally characterized.