Transition-Metal-Catalyzed Monoarylation of Ammonia

The direct monoarylation of ammonia for the synthesis of aniline derivatives constitutes a significant challenge in modern synthetic chemistry. Over the past decade, major efforts have been made in order to develop highly active and selective catalyst systems for this transformation. More specifically, the application of various transition-metal catalysis has enabled substantial progress in substrate scope and reaction conditions as well as catalyst costs and availability. This review describes these advancements focusing on palladium-, copper-, and nickel-based catalyst systems that have been reported until mid-2017.