No Making Without Breaking: Nitrogen-Centered Carbonylation Reactions

Carbonylation, an efficient and straightforward approach for installing a carbonyl group into their parent compounds, is an important area in modern organic synthesis. This Review outlines the recent advances in the development of nitrogen-centered carbonylation reactions, which consists of two parts: nitrogen-center-directed carbonylation reactions and carbonylative C–N bonds activation. According to the reaction mechanisms, two-electron- and single-electron-mediated carbonylation reactions were systematically classified and discussed in detail. Different inert bonds such as C(sp2)–H, C(sp3)–H, C–C, C(sp3)–N, and C(sp2)–N bonds can be activated and ready for a carbonylative transformation toward the synthesis of the corresponding carbonyl-containing compounds.