Historical Perspective and Mechanistic Aspects of C–H Bond Functionalization

This chapter encompasses an overview of the development of transition metal-catalyzed C–H bond functionalization, from its origins at the end of the 19 th century to the present, organized largely in the framework of elementary reaction classes (including electrophilic C–H bond activation, concerted metalation deprotonation, oxidative addition, and sigma-bond metathesis). This perspective attempts to capture the role of serendipity in the development of catalysis, while shedding light on the ways in which both applied and fundamental research in the field of organotransition metal chemistry have led to unforeseeable advances that have revolutionized the practice of organic synthesis.