Recent Development of Single-Atom Catalysis for the Functionalization of Alkenes

The functionalization of alkenes is one of the most important conversions in synthetic chemistry to prepare numerous fine chemicals. Typical procedures, such as hydrosilylation and hydroformylation, are traditionally catalyzed using homogeneous noble metal complexes, while the highly reactive and stable heterogeneous single-atom catalysts (SACs) now provide alternative approaches to fulfill these conversions by combining the advantages of both homogeneous catalysts and heterogeneous nanoparticle catalysts. In this review, the recent achievement in single-atom catalyzed hydrosilylation and hydroformylation reactions are introduced, and we highlight the latest applications of SACs for additive reactions, constructing new C-Y (Y = B, P, S, N) bonds on the terminal carbon atoms of alkenes, and then mention the applications in single-metal-atom catalyzed hydrogenation and epoxidation reactions. We also note that some tandem reactions are conveniently realized in one pot by the concisely fabricated SACs, facilitating the preparation of some pharmaceutical compounds. Lastly, the challenges facing single-atom catalysis for alkene conversions are briefly mentioned.