Ruthenium-catalyzed direct arylations through C-H bond cleavages.

Stoichiometric cycloruthenation reactions of substrates containing Lewis-basic functionalities set the stage for efficient ruthenium-catalyzed C-H bond functionalization reactions. Thereby, selective addition reactions of C-H bonds across alkenes or alkynes enabled atom-economical synthesis of substituted arenes. More recently, ruthenium-catalyzed direct arylation reactions were examined, which display an unparalleled scope and, hence, represent economically and environmentally benign alternatives to traditional cross-coupling chemistry.