Gold(I) alkynyl complexes are shown to efficiently couple with aryl iodides under mild conditions in the presence of both Pd(II) and Cu(I) co-catalysts. The reaction is not gold catalysed, but rather the Au(I) centre serves to transfer the alkynyl moiety to Cu(I), which then enters the conventional Sonogashira cycles. Using this method, a small range of 1,4-disubstituted diynes, including examples of differentially substituted compounds ArC CC CAr', have been prepared directly from [(Ph3P) AuC CC CAu(PPh3)] and aryl iodides ArI. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.