One‐Pot Synthesis of Menthol Catalyzed by a Highly Diastereoselective Au/MgF 2 Catalyst

No toxic compounds such as KCN and no thermal activation is required for the preparation of Au/MgF 2 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).