Transition metal-catalyzed monodentate directing group-assisted C–H functionalization: an overview of advances (2015–2024)

Abstract

Transition-metal-catalyzed directed C–H activation provides an efficient and atom-economical platform for forging carbon–carbon and carbon–heteroatom bonds. Among the diverse strategies, methodologies employing monodentate directing groups (MDGs) have emerged as particularly powerful for achieving high levels of regio- and stereoselectivity. This review provides a focused update to the seminal 2015 account by Zhang, Liu, and coworkers, summarizing significant advances in MDG-enabled C–H functionalization from 2015 to 2024. The discussion is organized according to the key directing group motifs and the catalytic metals involved, highlighting the synthetic applications of this versatile approach.