Aqueous ammonia has been examined as a new weak base for the synthesis of [Au(NHC)Cl] complexes, as well as for the activation of C-H, S-H, and N-H bonds. Its low cost and mild operational conditions (in air and using technical grade solvents) make it an attractive alternative for producing gold-NHC complexes. Synthetic pathways have been investigated in silico, assessing the role of the deprotonation and metalation steps within the reaction mechanisms.