Spanish scientists have proved that gold alone can catalyse cross-coupling reactions, following a claim made last year that palladium impurities in the gold are essential for the catalysis.

Avelino Corma from the Polytechnic University of Valencia and colleagues used kinetic and theoretical studies to prove that gold can catalyse the Sonogashira coupling reaction between phenylacetylene and iodobenzene. ‘Gold nanoparticles are active enough to promote the reaction, regardless of the presence or absence of palladium,’ says Corma.

Read the full news story in Chemistry World and download Corma’s ChemComm communication