Figure. Functional group translocation of cyano groups by reversible C–H sampling

Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 22201015), the research team led by Dr. Yan Xu at Peking University has made significant progress in the field of functional group translocation reactions through an innovative C–H bond transformation strategy. The research results  was published online in Nature on June 27, 2023 titled "Functional Group Translocation of Cyano Groups by Reversible C–H Sampling". Article link:  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06347-3.

The selective transformation of C–H bonds is a highly coveted challenge in synthetic chemistry, offering potent tools for constructing functional molecules. Advancing this field necessitates the development of new selectivity control mechanisms capable of facilitating the precise and efficient transformation of C–H bonds.

Dr. Xu and the team have developed a novel catalytic strategy for selective C–H transformations through cooperative hydrogen atom transfer catalysis. This strategy facilitates the direct relocation of cyano groups to non-activated, remote C–H sites within the molecule, demonstrating exceptional 1,4-translocation fidelity in a diverse class of substrates. Notably, such a site-selective C–H transformation reaction circumvents the need for site-selective C–H cleavage steps, thus representing an unconventional selectivity-determining paradigm. This research not only introduces a fresh approach for allowing generalizable functional group translocation reactions, but also provides a new strategy for functionalizing an even broader array of substrates containing multiple similar C–H bonds.