Chirality in gold(III) homodimeric complexes

[Display omitted] •Syntheses of chiral gold(III) homodimeric complexes.•X-ray structures of gold(III) complexes.•Catalytic activity of chiral gold(III) homodimeric complexes. Vinylgold complex 4 and aurocycle 5 were successively prepared from the protected (S)-2-hydroxymethyl-5-alkynyl-3,4-dihydro-2H-pyrrole using AuCl3. The dimerization of 5 in the presence of K2CO3 gave the chiral homodimers 6a(S,aR) + 6b(S,aS) which exhibited catalytic activity with AgSbF6. Using the X-ray data obtained for 5 and 6a, a transition state explaining the diastereoselectivity(de = 50 at −50 °C) was proposed.