Enantioselective C-H Activation with Earth-Abundant 3d Transition Metals

Abstract

Molecular syntheses largely rely on time- and labour-intensive prefunctionalization strategies. In contrast, C-H activation represents an increasingly powerful approach that avoids lengthy syntheses of prefunctionalized substrates, with great potential for drug discovery, the pharmaceutical industry, material sciences, and crop protection, among others. The enantioselective functionalization of omnipresent C-H bonds has emerged as a transformative tool for the step- and atom-economical generation of chiral molecular complexity. However, this rapidly growing research area remains dominated by noble transition metals, prominently featuring toxic palladium, iridium and rhodium catalysts. Indeed, despite significant achievements, the use of inexpensive and sustainable 3d metals in asymmetric C-H activations is still clearly in its infancy. Herein, we discuss the remarkable recent progress in enantioselective transformations via organometallic C-H activation by 3d base metals up to April 2019.

Keywords: 3d metals; C−H activation; asymmetric catalysis; chiral ligands; transition metals.