2.10 Iron-Catalyzed Cross Coupling of Alkyl Electrophiles

Abstract Over the past several decades, significant progress has been made in the field of transition-metal-catalyzed carbon–carbon bond formation. Among these advancements, iron-catalyzed reactions have garnered significant attention in organic chemistry due to their economic and environmental advantages. Iron complexes have emerged as highly promising catalysts for carbon–carbon coupling reactions. They possess several advantageous features, such as low cost, widespread availability, and lower toxicity compared to other transition metals commonly used as catalysts. Through the utilization of iron catalysts, the coupling of organometallic reagents with diverse substrates has been achieved, leading to the synthesis of a wide range of important organic compounds. In this review, the main focus is on iron-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions involving alkyl electrophiles and various organometallic reagents. These organometallic reagents include those based on organomagnesium, organozinc, organoaluminum, and organoboron nucleophiles. The objective is to create C—C bonds through these reactions. Iron salts, when combined with suitable additives or ligands, have been employed as efficient catalysts in these processes.