Nucleophilic C–H functionalization of arenes: a new logic of organic synthesis

Abstract Direct metal-free C–H functionalization of arenes with nucleophiles is a new chapter in the chemistry of aromatics. Comprehensive studies on nucleophilic substitution of hydrogen in arenes (the SNH reactions), including mechanisms, intermediates, mathematic and electrochemical modeling, kinetics, electron-transfer, etc. have shown that this is not the hydride ion, but C–H proton is departed, and this process is facilitated by the presence of an appropriate oxidant or an auxiliary group. The SNH reactions, as a part of the general C–H functionalization concept, change the logic of organic synthesis. They open new opportunities, avoiding incorporation of good leaving groups or other auxiliaries in an aromatic ring, as a prefunctionalization step, thus providing a better correspondence to the principles of green chemistry.