Chemists’ ability to synthesize structurally complex, high-value organic molecules from simple starting materials is limited by methods to selectively activate and functionalize strong alkyl C(sp³) covalent bonds. Recent activity has focused on the activation of abundant C–O, C–N and C–C bonds via a mechanistic paradigm of oxidative addition of a low-valent, electron-rich transition metal. This approach typically employs nickel(0), rhodium(i), ruthenium(0) and iron catalysts under conditions finely tuned for specific, electronically activated substrates, sometimes assisted by chelating functional groups or ring strain. By adopting a redox-neutral strategy involving palladium(ii)-catalysed C–H activation followed by β-heteroatom/carbon elimination, we describe here a catalytic method to activate alkyl C(sp³)–oxygen, nitrogen, carbon, fluorine and sulfur bonds with high regioselectivity. Directed hydrofunctionalization of the resultant palladium(ii)-bound alkene leads to formal functional group metathesis. The method is applied to amino acid upgrading with complete regioselectivity and moderate to high retention of enantiomeric excess. Low-strain heterocycles undergo strong-bond activation and substitution, giving ring-opened products.

化学家从简单的起始原料合成结构复杂的高价值有机分子的能力受到选择性激活和功能化强烷基C（sp ³）共价键的方法的限制。最近的活动集中在通过低价，富电子的过渡金属的氧化加成的机理范式来激活丰富的C-O，C-N和C-C键。该方法通常在针对特定的电子活化底物进行微调的条件下使用镍（0），铑（i），钌（0）和铁催化剂，有时可通过螯合官能团或环应变来辅助。通过采用涉及钯的氧化还原中性策略（二）催化的C–H活化，然后去除β-杂原子/碳，我们在此描述了一种催化方法，该方法以高区域选择性活化烷基C（sp ³）–氧，氮，碳，氟和硫键。生成的钯（ii）结合的烯烃的直接加氢官能化导致形式化的官能团复分解。该方法用于氨基酸的提纯，具有完全的区域选择性和对映体过量的中等至高保留率。低应变杂环经过强键活化和取代，产生开环产物。