This Perspective illustrates the defining characteristics of free radical chemistry, beginning with its rich and storied history. Studies from our laboratory are discussed along with recent developments emanating from others in this burgeoning area. The practicality and chemoselectivity of radical reactions enable rapid access to molecules of relevance to drug discovery, agrochemistry, material science, and other disciplines. Thus, these reactive intermediates possess inherent translational potential, as they can be widely used to expedite scientific endeavors for the betterment of humankind.

The synthesis and functionalization of amines are fundamentally important in a vast range of chemical contexts. We present an amine synthesis that repurposes two simple feedstock building blocks: olefins and nitro(hetero)arenes. Using readily available reactants in an operationally simple procedure, the protocol smoothly yields secondary amines in a formal olefin hydroamination. Because of the presumed radical nature of the process, hindered amines can easily be accessed in a highly chemoselective transformation. A screen of more than 100 substrate combinations showcases tolerance of numerous unprotected functional groups such as alcohols, amines, and even boronic acids. This process is orthogonal to other aryl amine syntheses, such as the Buchwald-Hartwig, Ullmann, and classical amine-carbonyl reductive aminations, as it tolerates aryl halides and carbonyl compounds.

This Article details the development of the iron-catalyzed conversion of olefins to radicals and their subsequent use in the construction of C–C bonds. Optimization of a reductive diene cyclization led to the development of an intermolecular cross-coupling of electronically-differentiated donor and acceptor olefins. Although the substitution on the donor olefins was initially limited to alkyl and aryl groups, additional efforts culminated in the expansion of the scope of the substitution to various heteroatom-based functionalities, providing a unified olefin reactivity. A vinyl sulfone acceptor olefin was developed, which allowed for the efficient synthesis of sulfone adducts that could be used as branch points for further diversification. Moreover, this reactivity was extended into an olefin-based Minisci reaction to functionalize heterocyclic scaffolds. Finally, mechanistic studies resulted in a more thorough understanding of the reaction, giving rise to the development of a more efficient second-generation set of olefin cross-coupling conditions.

Carbon–carbon (C–C) bonds form the backbone of many important molecules, including polymers, dyes, and pharmaceutical agents. The development of new methods to create these essential connections in a rapid and practical fashion has been the focus of numerous organic chemists. This endeavor heavily relies on the ability to form C–C bonds in the presence of sensitive functional groups and congested structural environments. Here we report a fundamentally new chemical transformation that allows for the facile construction of highly substituted and uniquely functionalized C–C bonds. Using a simple iron catalyst, an inexpensive silane, and a benign solvent under an ambient atmosphere, heteroatom-substituted olefins are easily merged with electron-deficient olefins to create molecular architectures that were previously difficult or impossible to access. More than sixty examples are presented with a wide array of substrates, demonstrating the unique chemoselectivity and mildness of this simple reaction.

A redox-economic method for the direct coupling of olefins is reported using an inexpensive iron catalyst and a silane reducing agent. Thus, unactivated olefins can be joined directly to electron-deficient olefins in both intra- and intermolecular settings to generate hindered bicyclic systems, vicinal quaternary centers, and even cyclopropanes in good yield. The reaction is not sensitive to oxygen or moisture and has been performed on gram-scale. Most importantly, it allows access to many compounds that would be difficult or perhaps impossible to access using other methods.