Iron-Catalyzed Hydroamination and Hydroetherification of Unactivated Alkenes

The hydrofunctionalization of alkenes, explored for over 100 years, offers the potential for a direct, atom-economical approach to value-added products. While thermodynamically favored, the kinetic barrier to such processes necessitates the use of catalysts to control selectivity and reactivity. Modern variants typically rely on noble metals that require different ligands for each class of hydrofunctionalization, thereby limiting generality. This Letter describes a general iron-based system that catalyzes the hydroamination and hydroetherification of simple unactivated olefins.