View article

Transition metal-catalyzed C–H activation has emerged as an increasingly powerful strategy in molecular syntheses and a particularly attractive alternative to classical methods of cross-couplings. During the recent years, significant focus has been dedicated to further improve the sustainable nature of the C–H activation approach. As solvents represent a major portion of organic pollution caused by chemical syntheses, a range of nontoxic, biobased, sustainable solvents have been developed to substitute for common organic reaction media. In this review, we present a general perspective of biomass-derived solvents for transition metal-catalyzed C–H activation reactions and their unique potential for chemical syntheses up to January 2019.