Many mechanistically intriguing reactions have been developed in the last decade using gold(I) as catalyst. Here we review the main mechanistic proposals in gold-catalysed activation of alkynes and allenes, in which this metal plays a central role by stabilising a variety of complex cationic intermediates.
![Intriguing mechanistic labyrinths in gold(I) catalysis](https://www.iciq.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Intriguing-mechanistic_chemcomm20201420echavarren.gif)