Amide-directed tandem C-C/C-N bond formation through C-H activation.

The transformation of C-H bonds into other chemical bonds is of great significance in synthetic chemistry. C-H bond-activation processes provide a straightforward and atom-economic strategy for the construction of complex structures; as such, they have attracted widespread interest over the past decade. As a prevalent directing group in the field of C-H activation, the amide group not only offers excellent regiodirecting ability, but is also a potential C-N bond precursor. As a consequence, a variety of nitrogen-containing heterocycles have been obtained by using these reactions. This Focus Review addresses the recent research into the amide-directed tandem C-C/C-N bond-formation process through C-H activation. The large body of research in this field over the past three years has established it as one of the most-important topics in organic chemistry.