Multimetallic Catalytic Strategies for C–C Bond Formation 

Abstract: 

The selective synthesis of carbon-carbon (C-C) bonds is essential to the production of pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and materials. However, the selective formation of C–C bonds from abundant starting materials and accessible catalysts remains a challenge in synthetic processes. One of the most broadly useful strategies of accessing C–C bonds relies on the cross coupling of an electrophile with an organometallic reagent in the presence of a transition metal catalyst. While electrophiles are bench-stable and commercially available, the organometallic reagent can be air and moisture sensitive, intolerant of acidic and electrophilic functionality, and often must be pre-synthesized. A more versatile method to access C–C bonds would rely on electrophiles, carboxylic acids, or hydrocarbons directly though this method can make it challenging to control selectivity, as a single catalyst is expected to differentiate between two electronically analogous substrates or bonds of comparable strengths. For cross-coupling reactions in which a single earth-abundant metal catalyst is limited, we have developed conditions to enable the synergy between a typical cross coupling catalyst and other transition metal catalysts.