Once considered the 'holy grail' of organometallic chemistry, synthetically useful reactions employing C-H bond activation have increasingly been developed and applied to natural product and drug synthesis over the past decade. The ubiquity and relative low cost of hydrocarbons makes C-H bond functionalization an attractive alternative to classical C-C bond forming reactions such as cross-coupling, which require organohalides and organometallic reagents. In addition to providing an atom economical alternative to standard cross - coupling strategies, C-H bond functionalization also reduces the production of toxic by-products, thereby contributing to the growing field of reactions with decreased environmental impact. In the area of C-C bond forming reactions that proceed via a C-H activation mechanism, rhodium catalysts stand out for their functional group tolerance and wide range of synthetic utility. Over the course of the last decade, many Rh-catalyzed methods for heteroatom-directed C-H bond functionalization have been reported and will be the focus of this review. Material appearing in the literature prior to 2001 has been reviewed previously and will only be introduced as background when necessary. The synthesis of complex molecules from relatively simple precursors has long been a goal for many organic chemists. The ability to selectively functionalize a molecule with minimal pre-activation can streamline syntheses and expand the opportunities to explore the utility of complex molecules in areas ranging from the pharmaceutical industry to materials science. Indeed, the issue of selectivity is paramount in the development of all C-H bond functionalization methods. Several groups have developed elegant approaches towards achieving selectivity in molecules that possess many sterically and electronically similar C-H bonds. Many of these approaches are discussed in detail in the accompanying articles in this special issue of Chemical Reviews. One approach that has seen widespread success involves the use of a proximal heteroatom that serves as a directing group for the selective functionalization of a specific C-H bond. In a survey of examples of heteroatom-directed Rh catalysis, two mechanistically distinct reaction pathways are revealed. In one case, the heteroatom acts as a chelator to bind the Rh catalyst, facilitating reactivity at a proximal site. In this case, the formation of a five-membered metallacycle provides a favorable driving force in inducing reactivity at the desired location. In the other case, the heteroatom initially coordinates the Rh catalyst and then acts to stabilize the formation of a metal-carbon bond at a proximal site. A true test of the utility of a synthetic method is in its application to the synthesis of natural products or complex molecules. Several groups have demonstrated the applicability of C-H bond functionalization reactions towards complex molecule synthesis. Target-oriented synthesis provides a platform to test the effectiveness of a method in unique chemical and steric environments. In this respect, Rh-catalyzed methods for C-H bond functionalization stand out, with several syntheses being described in the literature that utilize C-H bond functionalization in a key step. These syntheses are highlighted following the discussion of the method they employ.

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Rhodium-Catalyzed C-C Bond Formation via Heteroatom-Directed C-H Bond Activation

The present review offers an overview of the current approaches for the photochemical and photocatalytic generation of reactive intermediates and their application in the formation of carbon–carbon bonds. Valuable synthetic targets are accessible, including arylation processes, formation of both carbo- and heterocycles, alpha- and beta-functionalization of carbonyls, and addition reactions onto double and triple bonds. According to the recent advancements in the field of visible/solar light catalysis, a significant part of the literature reported herein involves radical ions and radicals as key intermediates, with particular attention to the most recent examples. Synthetic application of carbenes, biradicals/radical pairs and carbocations have been also reported.

Carbon-Carbon Bond Forming Reactions via Photogenerated Intermediates.

Within 14 years of the seminal experiments of J. D. Roberts
leading to the first proposal of the structure of benzyne (1), synthetic organic chemists recognized the potential to exploit this highly reactive intermediate (and its substituted variants) in the total synthesis of natural products. More specifically, it was recognized that arynes offered the strategic advantage of rapidly functionalizing an aromatic ring by forming multiple carbon− carbon or carbon−heteroatom bonds in a single operation, often in a regioselective manner. Initially, the scope of synthetic
applications was somewhat limited by the harsh conditions
required to produce the aryne species. Many of these methods required strong bases, such as n-BuLi, or high temperatures (Scheme 1). However, with the development of milder methods for the generation of arynes came increased interest in employing them in the synthesis of more complex polycyclic systems. Most recently, the use of o-silyl aryl triflates as aryne precursors has allowed generation of the reactive intermediate under almost neutral conditions.
To date, over 75 individual natural products have been
prepared using arynes to generate key synthetic intermediates. Herein are recounted the reports of total syntheses that utilize arynes in ways that build complexity or introduce motifs essential to the completion of their targets. The methods by which the authors featured in this review accomplish this task reflect the versatility of arynes as reactive intermediates for synthesis (Scheme 2). For the purposes of organization, the syntheses are divided into subgroups on the basis of the type of aryne transformation: (i) nucleophilic additions or multicomponent reactions, (ii) σ-bond insertion reactions, (iii) [4 + 2]- and [2 + 2]-cycloaddition strategies, and (iv) metal-catalyzed aryne reactions.

A Comprehensive History of Arynes in Natural Product Total Synthesis

Large-scale oxidations in the pharmaceutical industry.

Regioselective manipulation of hydroxyl groups via organotin derivatives

ether became symnietrical in the presence of 5 equiv of 18-crown-6. Comparison of the chemical shift data for the anions of 1 and 2 in the absence and presence of 5 equiv of 18crown-6 reveals a change of 257 Hz for 1 and 144 Hz for 2. The smaller chemical shift change observed for 2 is again consistent with a lesser degree of ion pairing when the counterion is hexafluorophosphate. Central to this argument is the formulation of the crown ether-diazonium salt complex 5 as resulting from insertion of the neck of the arenediazonium cation into a crown ether ~ o l l a r . ~ J ~ J ~ PrevioiJs evidence for this arrangement includes steric effects of substituents in sol~bilization~~'~ and titration cal~rimetric '~ studies and 'H NMR spectral changes of certain macrocyclic polyethers in the presence of arenediazonium salt^.^,'^ Because of insufficient solubility of uncomplexed 2 it was not possible to probe for changes in the 'H NMR spectra of 1 and 2 in 172-dichloroethane upon addition of 18-crown-6. However, such measurements could be made in dimethyl sulfoxide and are summarized in Table V. Although the chemical shifts of the tert-butyl group hydrogens and the 3,5 aromatic ring hydrogens of 1 and 2 are unaffected by the presence of 18-crown-6, the 2,6 aromatic ring hydrogens are shifted upfield by 7-8 Hz in the presence of 18-crown-6. This chemical shift change for only the ortho hydrogens provides further evidence for the proposed diazonium ion-crown ether complex 5.

Robert V. Stevens

Papers

Convenient and inexpensive procedure for oxidation of secondary alcohols to ketones

Further studies on the utility of sodium hypochlorite in organic synthesis. Selective oxidation of diols and direct conversion of aldehydes to esters

Structures of the 1:1 Complexes of 18-Crown-6 with Hydrazinium Perchlorate, Hydroxylammonium Perchlorate, and Methylammonium Perchlorate

Studies on the synthesis of vitamin B12. 4

An efficient and remarkably regioselective synthesis of benzocyclobutenones from benzynes and 1,1-dimethoxyethylene