Recent advances in asymmetric synthesis of chiral benzoheterocycles via Earth-abundant metal catalysis

Due to the significance of chiral benzoheterocycles, the synthesis of these skeletons draws considerable attention from chemists and remarkable progress has been made in the last few decades. However, most of the methods employ noble transition metals as catalysts. Herein, this review mainly focuses on the facile assembly of enantio-enriched benzoheterocycles via Earth-abundant metal catalysis. To date, numerous methods have been well developed, such as the Ullmann reaction, hydroarylation, borylation or cycloetherification of alkenes, O–H insertion of α-diazo esters, tandem arylation of heteroatom-linked olefins, kinetic resolution, hydrofunctionalization of dihydroquinolines, and other kinds of methods, which are discussed in detail in this review. Furthermore, we also discuss the existing limitations of the previously reported methods and the perspectives in this field.