Recent advances in ruthenium‐catalysed aromatic C−H bond oxygenation, nitrogenation and halogenation

Abstract The transition metal‐catalysed C−H bond functionalization has emerged as a powerful tool for accessing numerous organic compounds in greener manner with step and atom economy. Remarkable progress has been made in the metal‐catalysed C−H bond functionalization during the past decades and the trend is continuing as new reactions are being added. In the transition metal‐catalysed C−H bond functionalization, a growing attention has been paid on ruthenium, particularly, the stable ruthenium(II) as it allows several C−H bond functionalization reactions to perform in water with high selectivity. The ruthenium‐catalysed C−H bond functionalization reactions, such as arylation, alkenylation, annulation, cyanation, amination and silylation just to mention some have been well documented in numerous published papers, book chapters and review articles. However, as ruthenium‐catalysed C−H functionalization has been growing rapidly, a comprehensive review is necessary from time to time to highlight the progress made in this ever expanding field. In view of this, the manuscript presents the ruthenium‐catalysed direct C−O, C−N and C‐halogen bond forming reactions involving aromatic C−H bond covering oxygenation, amination, amidation, imidation, nitration and halogenation reported from 2012 to 2022.