Nickel-catalyzed reductive cyclizations and couplings

For over 50 years, nickel catalysis has been applied in cycloaddition processes. Nickel-catalyzed reductive couplings and cyclizations, however, have only recently attracted a high level of interest. This group of new reactions allows a broad range of multicomponent couplings involving two or more π components with a main-group or transition-metal reagent. These processes allow the assembly of important organic substructures from widely available reaction components. Multiple contiguous stereocenters, polycyclic ring systems, and novel arrays of complex functionality may often be prepared from simple, achiral, acyclic precursors. With three of more reactive functional groups participating in the catalytic processes, many mechanistic questions abound, including the precise timing of bond constructions and the nature of reactive intermediates. This Review is thus aimed at providing a critical evaluation of recent progress in this rapidly developing field.