A facile equilibrium …︁ …︁ between three types of gold complexes results when propargylic esters encounter a gold(I) catalyst. The energetics associated with the formation and carousel-like interconversion of these complexes—a π-coordinated alkyne, a carbene, and an allene—are described by Cavallo et al. in their Communication on page 718 ff. The mechanistic aspects of this system, the barriers to migration, and the range of resulting products appear more intricate than initially thought.
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Correa et al. (2008) studied this question.