Main‐Group Metal Complexes in Selective Bond Formations Through Radical Pathways

Recent years have witnessed remarkable advances in radical reactions involving main‐group metal complexes. This includes the isolation and detailed characterization of main‐group metal radical compounds, but also the generation of highly reactive persistent or transient radical species. A rich arsenal of methods has been established that allows control over and exploitation of their unusual reactivity patterns. Thus, main‐group metal compounds have entered the field of selective bond formations in controlled radical reactions. Transformations that used to be the domain of late transition‐metal compounds have been realized, and unusual selectivities, high activities, as well as remarkable functional‐group tolerances have been reported. Recent findings demonstrate the potential of main‐group metal compounds to become standard tools of synthetic chemistry, catalysis, and materials science, when operating through radical pathways.