Coupling of unactivated alkyl electrophiles using frustrated ion pairs

Cross-electrophile coupling reactions have evolved into a major strategy for rapidly assembling important organic molecules1. Two readily accessible electrophiles are coupled to form new C–C bonds, providing a key advantage over traditional cross-coupling strategies that require the preformation of reactive organometallic species. Yet, the formation of C(sp3)–C(sp3) bonds that form the core of nearly all organic compounds remains highly challenging with current approaches, calling for the design of innovative new strategies. Here we report a distinct, transition-metal-free platform to form such bonds without the need for activating or stabilizing groups on the coupling partners. The reaction is enabled by an unusual single-electron transfer in a frustrated ion pair, and it can couple fragments containing functional groups that would be challenging in related transition-metal-catalysed processes. Moreover, we could further leverage this new mechanistic manifold in the design of other reactions, showing the broad potential of this type of reactivity. We anticipate that our results will provide a framework for further exploration of this reactivity pattern to tackle challenging problems in organic synthesis.