Ligand-Metal Cooperation Enables C–C Activation Cross-Coupling Reactivity of Cyclopropyl Ketones

Activation of C–C bonds has the potential to revolutionize how molecules are made by altering the carbon skeleton and enabling new synthetic routes. Stereodefined cyclopropyl ketones have become readily available and would be an ideal source of linear 3-carbon fragments, but this reactivity is unknown. In this study we show how a new type of C–C activation catalyst, that relies upon a different, metalloradical mechanism, can enable new subsequent reactivity: the cross- coupling of cyclopropyl ketones with organozinc reagents and chlorotrimethylsilane to form 1,3- difunctionalized, ring-opened products. A mixture of experiment and theory sheds light on how cooperation between the redox-active ligand and the nickel catalyst enables the C–C bond activation step, suggesting how this approach could be applied in other systems.