One-pot synthesis of menthol catalyzed by a highly diastereoselective Au/MgF₂ catalyst

No toxic compounds such as KCN and no thermal activation is required for the preparation of Au/MgF₂ complexes by a simple and facile incipient wetness impregnation method in which hydrogen tetrachloroaurate (HAuCl ₄) is the gold precursor. One of the complexes prepared exhibits unique catalytic properties and serves as a heterogeneous catalyst for the highly diastereoselective one-pot synthesis of (±)-menthol from citronellal (see picture).