Catalytic Methods for C-H Bond Functionalization: Application in Organic Synthesis

The development of catalytic reactions involving carbon-hydrogen bond cleavage is currently one of the most attractive research subjects in organic and organometallic chemistry. About 40 years have past since the pioneering report of the cleavage of C-H bonds with transition metal complexes. Since that time, a vast number of studies of the cleavage of C-H bonds, using stoichiometric amounts of transition metal complexes has appeared. In the last decade, a variety of catalytic reactions involving C-H bond cleavage has been reported. In this review we briefly survey the results of these research activities with respect to the catalytic use of unreactive C-H bonds in organic synthesis.