Secondary alkyl halides in transition-metal-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions.

Enormous effort has gone into the development of metal-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions with alkyl halides as electrophilic coupling partners. Whereas a wide array of primary alkyl halides can now be used effectively in cross-coupling reactions, the synthetic potential of secondary alkyl halides is just beginning to be revealed. This Minireview summarizes selected examples of the use of secondary alkyl halides as electrophiles in cross-coupling reactions. Emphasis is placed on the transition metals employed, the mechanistic pathways involved, and implications in terms of the stereochemical outcome of reactions.