Abstract

Abundant, inexpensive, and nontoxic iron salts can efficiently catalyze the cross-coupling reaction of organic electrophiles with organometallic reagents. A large variety of aryl, acyl, alkenyl, allylic, benzylic, propargylic, and alkyl electrophiles can be successfully coupled with organomagnesium, -zinc, -copper, -manganese, and -boron reagents. Coupling reactions of two organometallic reagents under oxidative conditions and of two organic halides under reductive conditions are also discussed. The Reaction">The reaction mechanism is controversial and various mechanisms, sometimes interconnected, in which iron can adopt different oxidation states have been proposed. Electron-transfer processes may also be involved.