Making, Seeing, and Using Subvalent Nitrogen Species

Direct C–H amination chemistry via electrophilic subvalent nitrogen intermediates could radically simplify access to nitrogen-containing small molecules by providing the chemical tools to selectively convert ubiquitous C–H bonds to valuable C–N bonds. At present, challenges in chemoselectivity, sustainability, and synthetic versatility prevent realization of the synthetic potential of C–H amination.