Iron-catalysed reductive cross-coupling of alkenes

Abstract

Radical stuff: Iron-catalyzed alkene hydrofunctionalization has been reported by a number of groups using the reaction of unactivated alkenes with sodium borohydride or phenylsilane to give alkyl radical intermediates. Reaction with a range of radical traps has been applied to the formation of carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom bonds and used recently for reductive cross-coupling of alkenes. EWG=Electron-withdrawing group. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.