“Cut and Sew” Transformations via Transition-Metal-Catalyzed Carbon–Carbon Bond Activation

The transition metal-catalyzed "cut and sew" transformation has recently emerged as a useful strategy for preparing complex molecular structures. After oxidative addition of a transition metal into a carbon-carbon bond, the resulting two carbon termini can be both functionalized in one step via the following migratory insertion and reductive elimination with unsaturated units, such as alkenes, alkynes, allenes, CO and polar multiple bonds. Three- or four-membered rings are often employed as reaction partners due to their high ring strains. The participation of non-strained structures generally relies on cleavage of a polar carbon-CN bond or assistance of a directing group.