Reductive cross-coupling reactions between two electrophiles

Reductive cross-electrophile coupling reactions have recently been developed to a versatile and sustainable synthetic tool for selective C-C bond formation. The employment of cheap and abundant electrophiles avoids the pre-formation and handling of organometallic reagents. In situ reductive coupling is effected in the presence of a transition-metal catalyst (Ni, Co, Pd, Fe) and a suitable metallic reductant (Mn, Zn, Mg). This Concept article assesses the current state of the art and summarizes recent protocols with various combinations of alkyl, alkenyl, allyl, and aryl reagents and highlights key mechanistic studies.