Decarboxylative coupling reactions: a modern strategy for C–C-bond formation

This critical review examines transition metal-catalyzed decarboxylative couplings that have emerged within recent years as a powerful strategy to form carbon–carbon or carbon–heteroatom bonds starting from carboxylic acids. In these reactions, C–C bonds to carboxylate groups are cleaved, and in their place, new carbon–carbon bonds are formed. Decarboxylative cross-couplings constitute advantageous alternatives to traditional cross-coupling or addition reactions involving preformed organometallic reagents. Decarboxylative reaction variants are also known for Heck reactions, direct arylation processes, and carbon–heteroatom bond forming reactions.