Strategic evolution in transition metal-catalyzed directed C–H bond activation and future directions

• An overview of the strategic evolution in C-H activation chemistry is provided. • The chronological evolution of directed C-H functionalization is discussed. • The history of built-in and removable directing groups is outlined. • Distal C-H functionalization with a working hypothesis is presented. In the field of C–H bond functionalization chemistry, directed C–H bond activation strategies are highly appreciated due to the high efficiency and selectivity of such reactions towards a certain type of C–H bond. Considering extraordinarily rapid progress in directed C–H bond functionalization reactions, we summarize the strategic evolution of directed C–H bond activation chemistry in this review. We feel that this review would be of particular interest to scientists who are interested in progress made in the area of directed C–H bond functionalization, which could stimulate new areas of research regarding this significant topic.