Combinations of Aminocatalysts and Metal Catalysts: A Powerful Cooperative Approach in Selective Organic Synthesis

The cooperation and interplay between organic and metal catalyst systems is of utmost importance in nature and chemical synthesis. Here innovative and selective cooperative catalyst systems can be designed by combining two catalysts that complement rather than inhibit one another. This refined strategy can permit chemical transformations unmanageable by either of the catalysts alone. This review summarizes innovations and developments in selective organic synthesis that have used cooperative dual catalysis by combining simple aminocatalysts with metal catalysts. Considerable efforts have been devoted to this fruitful field. This emerging area employs the different activation modes of amine and metal catalysts as a platform to address challenging reactions. Here, aminocatalysis (e.g., enamine activation catalysis, iminium activation catalysis, single occupied molecular orbital (SOMO) activation catalysis, and photoredox activation catalysis) is employed to activate unreactive carbonyl substrates. The transition metal catalyst complements by activating a variety of substrates through a range of interactions (e.g., electrophilic π-allyl complex formation, Lewis acid activation, allenylidene complex formation, photoredox activation, C-H activation, etc.), and thereby novel concepts within catalysis are created. The inclusion of heterogeneous catalysis strategies allows for "green" chemistry development, catalyst recyclability, and the more eco-friendly synthesis of valuable compounds.