C–H Activation Catalyzed by Earth-Abundant Metals

This account describes our quest for controlling the reactivity of organoiron species, and developing an iron catalyst that can efficiently activate a C–H bond substrate possessing directing group, followed by reaction with nucleophiles (magnesium, zinc, boron, or aluminum reagents), electrophiles (alkyl halides, alkanol derivatives, allyl ethers, alkenes, alkynes, chloroamines), another (heteroarenes electron-deficient arenes). Our forays into activation using cobalt, manganese, chromium catalysis are also briefly discussed. journey in bond, nucleophiles, electrophiles, substrate. Forays presented.