Magnesium Complexes In Hydroelementation And Reduction Catalysis: Opportunities And Challenges

The addition of a Y-H (Y = B, Si, Sn, N, P, and O) bond and H-2 to unsaturated bonds is a powerful and atom-economic method for the synthesis of fine chemicals. In the recent years, magnesium-based organometallic complexes have appeared as an alternative to transition metal catalysts for the hydrofunctionalization and hydrogenation of unsaturated systems. This review focuses on the progress of magnesium catalysis for the hydrofunctionalization and hydrogenation of unsaturated bonds, provides a critical assessment of the state-of-the-art research, highlights the major developments achieved in the past three years, and provides an overview of the challenges and opportunities.