Catalytic Approaches for the Direct Heterofunctionalization of Aliphatic Carboxylic Acids and Their Equivalents with Group 16 Elements.

In contrast to traditional multistep synthesis, modern organic synthesis extensively depends on the direct functionalization of unactivated C-H bonds for the construction of various C-C and C-heteroatom bonds in atom- and step-economic manner. Common aliphatic substrates, e. g. carboxylic acids and their synthetic equivalents, are regiospecifically functionalized based on either a directed approach, in which the polar directing group assists to functionalize a specific C-H bond positioned at β- and γ-carbon centers, or a non-directed approach typically leading to α-functionalization. While numerous reviews on catalytic C-H functionalization have appeared, a concise review on the direct C(sp3 )-H heterofunctionalization of carboxylic acid synthons with Group 16 elements has been awaited. The recent advances on the direct oxy-functionalization and chalcogenation of aliphatic carboxylic acid synthons enabled by transition metal, organo- and photocatalysts are described herein.