Chemistry
The Chemistry of Nickel-Catalyzed Cross-Electrophile Coupling Reactions
Quick fact
Nickel catalysis allows two different electrophiles—like an aryl halide and an alkyl halide—to couple directly, using a simple metal reductant (e.g., zinc) instead of a preformed organometallic reagent, dramatically expanding the pool of accessible starting materials.
Why this is interesting
Imagine building a complex molecule by joining two equally 'reluctant' partners, without needing to pre-form a reactive metal reagent. Nickel-catalyzed cross-electrophile coupling makes this possible—how?