Invited Lecture – F. Dean Toste

This lecture will emphasize a reactivity driven approach to development of electrophilic catalysts for addition, rearrangement and coupling reactions of C-C multiple bonds. More specifically, the application of cationic gold(I) complexes, chiral anions and chiral acids in enantioselective transformations initiated by π-activation will be discussed. Particular attention will be devoted to the mechanistic hypotheses that form the basis for catalyst discovery and the development of new reactions.