Recent progress in transition-metal-catalysed intermolecular saturated C(sp3)–N(sp3) bond formation reactions

Abstract

Saturated C(sp³)–N(sp³) bonds are ubiquitous in organic molecules and serve as key subunits in natural products, pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and organic materials. Transition-metal-catalysed C–N cross-coupling reactions have evolved as an enabling platform for C–N bond formation, providing an indispensable synthetic tool for the rapid assembly of valuable molecular skeletons. Over recent years, C(sp³)–N(sp³) bond formation has attracted significant attention from the synthetic community, providing straightforward access to sp³-rich C–N bond containing architectures from readily available and cost-effective starting materials. This review highlights recent advances in transition-metal-catalysed intermolecular C(sp³)–N(sp³) bond formation. Key strategies for transition-metal-catalysed C(sp³)–N(sp³) bond formation and mechanistic insights are summarized and discussed. Moreover, ongoing challenges and directions for future opportunities are discussed to inspire further efforts for developing C(sp³)–N(sp³) bond-forming processes.