‘Schmidbaur gold chemistry’ and beyond

Abstract Hubert Schmidbaur has significantly influenced the field of gold chemistry. His work on preparing various aurocyclic digold compounds and studying their structures and reactivities has laid the foundation for unique applications in photophysics and homogeneous catalysis. The naming and characterization, both experimental and theoretical, of the aurophilicity phenomenon have led to numerous interdisciplinary applications. The emergence and development of dynamic gold chemistry in the excited state, exemplify this impact. Preparative methodologies, characterization techniques, and qualitative bonding theories have been tested through the rational preparation of ligated, element-centred gold clusters. The potential of this fascinating class of compounds remains largely untapped.