Copper-Catalyzed Functionalization of 1,3-Dienes: Hydrofunctionalization, Borofunctionalization, and Difunctionalization

The catalytic conversion of chemical feedstocks into products of medicinal and agricultural value is a key theme across modern synthetic chemistry. As 1,3-dienes are readily available from industrial cracking processes, there is great interest in the development of sustainable methods for the functionalization of these simple molecules. Although initial developments in this field have required precious-transition-metal catalysts, there has been a push toward the use of inexpensive, nontoxic, and more abundant copper catalysts to promote functionalization. This Perspective covers the many developments in the area of copper-catalyzed functionalization of 1,3-dienes, in particular hydrofunctionalization, borofunctionalization, and difunctionalization (e.g., diamination).