Iron-catalyzed C–H amination and its application in organic synthesis

Transition-metal-catalyzed direct C–H bond amination is an attractive strategy in preparation of nitrogen containing molecules which are common in naturally occurring and pharmaceutically important compounds. Comparing to the precious metals commonly used in this reaction, non-precious metals such as iron are abundant in earth, relatively low toxic, and more biocompatible, which meet the increasing demand for environmentally benign and sustainable chemical processes. In this review, we described the development in iron catalyzed C–H bond amination reactions from historical landmarks to recent achievements, and placed emphasis on their applications in organic synthesis, i.e. natural product synthesis and/or modification.