The formation of carbon-carbon bonds is a fundamental transformation in organic synthesis. In spite of the myriad methods available, advantageous methodologies in terms of selectivity, availability of starting materials, operational simplicity, functional-group tolerance, environmental sustainability and economy are in constant demand. In this context, the development of new cross-coupling reactions that use catalysts based on inexpensive and non-toxic metals is attracting increasing attention. Similarly, efficient processes that do not require a metal catalyst are of extraordinary interest. Here, we report a new and efficient metal-free carbon-carbon bond-forming coupling between tosylhydrazones and boronic acids. This reaction is very general and functional-group tolerant. As the required tosylhydrazones are easily generated from carbonyl compounds, it can be seen as a reductive coupling of carbonyls, a process of high synthetic relevance that requires several steps using other methodologies.

Tosylhydrazones are useful synthetic intermediates that have been used in organic chemistry for almost 60 years. The recent discovery of a palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction involving a tosylhydrazone coupling partner has triggered renewed interest in these reagents. This reaction shows nearly universal generality with regard to the hydrazone and can be employed for the preparation of polysubstituted alkenes. In the course of this research, novel metal-free C-C and C-O bond-forming reactions have been discovered. Since tosylhydrazones are readily prepared from carbonyl compounds, these transformations offer new synthetic opportunities for the unconventional modification of carbonyl compounds. This Minireview discusses all of these new reactions of a classic reagent.

Metal‐free partner: No organometallic coupling partner is required for a Pd‐catalyzed cross‐coupling reaction that employs N‐tosylhydrazones as the nucleophilic component (see scheme; Ts=4‐toluenesulfonyl).

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plitudes [I> 2cr(I)] together with Friedel reflections; R =0.066. N-La-N angles ofthe diagonals 175.0--17X.5": La-N 2.734-2.831 A (mean value 2.770 A): intra-2 N-N 2.772-2.976 A (mean value 2.917 A); inter-2-

Upon reaction with IPy2BF4, 4-substituted anilines give regioselectively the corresponding o-iodoanilines in nearly quantitative yield, in a process that can be carried out on a multigram scale. Palladium-catalyzed coupling of the resulting 2-iodoanilines with (trimethylsilyl)acetylene (TMSA), followed by efficient CuI-mediated nitrogen cyclization onto alkynes with concurrent elimination of the TMS substituent, allows a straightforward elaboration of 5-mono- and 5,7-disubstituted indoles from aromatic amines. This new approach to the aforementioned indoles does not requires protective groups on nitrogen at any step and can be adapted for preparing related 7-monosubstituted indoles. Moreover, examples iterating the process are given, allowing bisannulation and sequential double annulation and resulting in synthesis of benzodipyrroles. Additionally, suitable conditions for iodination of some of the target indoles with IPy2BF4 are discussed.