Modern Organometallic C-H Functionalizations with Earth-Abundant Iron Catalysts: An Update

Iron-catalyzed C-H activation has recently emerged as an increasingly powerful synthetic method for the step- and atom- economical direct C-H functionalizations of otherwise inert C-H bonds. Iron's low-cost and toxicity along with its catalytic versatility have encouraged the scientific community to elect this metal for the development of new C-H activation methodologies. Within this review, we aim to present a collection of the most recent examples of iron-catalyzed C-H functionalizations with a particular emphasis on modern synthetic strategies and mechanistic aspects. Iron-catalyzed C-H activations represent one of the most promising techniques in organic chemistry in terms of sustainability. Herein, modern synthetic strategies will be discussed including chelate-assisted functionalizations, bimetallic activations, ligand design for reactions of unsaturated molecules, isotopic labelling and finally photo-assisted transformations.image