Abstract Vinyl ethers and ketals are obtained from the reaction of phenylacetylene derivatives and dimethyl acetylenedicarboxylate (DMAD) with alcohols in good yields and levels of stereoselectivity by using cationic gold (I)-phosphine complexes as catalysts. By choosing the appropriate phosphine, the selective formation of the Z or the E isomer of the vinyl ether can be tuned, and the undesired formation of the ketal can be controlled. The ...