Gold‐Catalyzed Lactone Synthesis: Advancements and Insights

Lactones represent a class of fundamental structural motifs ubiquitous in nature, holding significance across diverse scientific domains such as pharmaceuticals, natural products, drug discovery, and industry. Despite their simplicity, the synthesis of lactones has garnered considerable interest due to their pivotal roles. Gold, traditionally regarded as a noble metal, has emerged as an efficient catalyst, challenging conventional perceptions. The utilization of gold in lactone synthesis has captivated researchers, leading to the development of numerous effective methodologies. Motivated by this, we present a comprehensive compilation of reports on the gold‐catalyzed synthesis of lactones, encompassing literature till date. Lactones represent a class of heterocyclic compounds prevalent in nature and applied across diverse industries. This review particularly focuses on gold‐catalyzed pathways leading to lactone formation, especially from propargylic esters, allenoic acids, allenoates, and alkynes. The manuscript sheds light on significant contributions in the field of gold‐catalyzed lactone synthesis, providing an analysis of developments up to 2023.