Deciphering the Role of Silver in Palladium-Catalyzed C–H Functionalizations

Over the years, silver salts have become an integral part of palladium-catalyzed C–H functionalization. Although most of the research works highlight the role of Ag(I) complexes solely as an oxidant, there are several other impacts of such complexes in Pd-catalyzed C–H functionalizations. The low energy route adopted by this bimetallic couple reportedly outshines the pre-existing monometallic catalysis. Extensive computational studies further corroborates the fact of electronic relay between the two metal species. This perspective aims to eradicate the vague intuition of silver merely acting as an oxidant by unveiling the different aspects of Ag salts in Pd-catalyzed C–H activation.