Recent Advances in C–O Bond Cleavage of Aryl, Vinyl, and Benzylic Ethers

Transition metal-catalyzed cross-coupling with aryl halides has revolutionized the way of diversifying aromatic compounds. Aryl ethers are attractive alternatives to aromatic halides as coupling partners considering the accessibility and potential environmental benefits. The last two decades have witnessed a striking success in the field of C–O bond activation of aryl ethers, including the construction of C–C bond and C–X bond, as well as reductive deoxygenation. Here, we present a comprehensive review of C–O bond activation in the context of aryl, vinyl, and benzylic ethers. This review elaborates on the current state-of-the-art methods, categorized by different catalytic systems, including transition metal catalysis, photoredox catalysis, and other innovative approaches. The newly developed methods allow C–O bond activation under mild conditions with exceptional functional group tolerance, potentially enabling the late-stage functionalization of pharmaceuticals. The limitations and future perspectives of the methods are also presented.