@article{21008,
  abstract     = {C(sp2)–heteroatom couplings operating via NiI/NiIII catalysis have emerged as an alternative to canonical Pd0/PdII systems that require complex ligand architectures. Despite intensive research efforts during the past decade, catalytic methods employing this approach are still mostly confined to activated starting materials and require high catalyst loadings due to the low catalytic activity of NiI and undesired catalyst deactivation events. This article highlights recent advances in the field toward solving these long-standing challenges. We survey strategies that streamline the generation of catalytically competent NiI species from bench-stable NiII precatalysts, and discuss mechanistic studies that shed light on deactivation pathways and the rate-determining oxidative addition of aryl halides. In the final section, we highlight recently developed synthetic methodologies, which provide evidence that limitations can indeed be addressed by working at elevated temperatures, employing alternative electrophiles, harnessing the benefits of additives, or fine-tuning the metal’s reactivity through the ligand field.},
  author       = {Bena, Aleksander and Pieber, Bartholomäus},
  issn         = {2155-5435},
  journal      = {ACS Catalysis},
  number       = {2},
  pages        = {866--881},
  publisher    = {American Chemical Society},
  title        = {{Advances in NiI/NiIII-catalyzed C(sp2)–heteroatom cross-couplings}},
  doi          = {10.1021/acscatal.5c07964},
  volume       = {16},
  year         = {2026},
}

@article{21776,
  abstract     = {Pyridyl motifs equipped with N-substituents can be powerful ligands for catalysis, yet their broader adoption is limited by the lack of a practical method to prepare these scaffolds. We report a modular, robust, and versatile Buchwald–Hartwig amination protocol that enables the rapid synthesis of bipyridine, phenanthroline, terpyridine, and pybox ligands bearing dialkylamine, diarylamine, and heteroaromatic N-substituents. These conditions streamline ligand library synthesis and will facilitate systematic studies in catalysis and related applications.},
  author       = {Petrik, Adam and Bena, Aleksander and Baunis, Haralds and Kelch, Riley M. and Yoon, Tehshik P. and Pieber, Bartholomäus},
  issn         = {1615-4169},
  journal      = {Advanced Synthesis & Catalysis},
  number       = {9},
  publisher    = {Wiley},
  title        = {{Facile access to N-substituted pyridyl ligands}},
  doi          = {10.1002/adsc.70417},
  volume       = {368},
  year         = {2026},
}

@article{19599,
  abstract     = {Advances in nickel catalysis have significantly broadened the synthetic chemists’ toolbox, particularly through methodologies leveraging paramagnetic nickel species via photoredox catalysis or electrochemistry. Key to these reactions is the oxidation state modulation of nickel via single-electron transfer events. Recent mechanistic studies indicate that C(sp2)–heteroatom bond formations proceed through NiI/NiIII cycles. Related C(sp2)–C(sp3) cross-couplings operate via the photocatalytic generation of C-centered radicals and a catalytic cycle that involves Ni0, NiI, and NiIII species. Here, we show that light-mediated nickel-catalyzed C(sp2)–C(sp3) bond formations can be carried out without using exogenous photoredox catalysts but with a photoactive ligand. In a pursuit of expanding the scope of C(sp2)–heteroatom couplings using donor–acceptor ligands, we identified a photoactive nickel complex capable of catalyzing cross-couplings between aryl halides and benzyltrifluoroborate salts. Mechanistic investigations provide evidence that transmetalation between a photochemically generated NiI species and the organoboron compound is the key catalytic step in a NiI/NiIII catalytic cycle under these conditions.},
  author       = {Anghileri, Lucia and Baunis, Haralds and Bena, Aleksander and Giannoudis, Christos and Burke, John H. and Reischauer, Susanne and Merschjann, Christoph and Wallick, Rachel F. and Al Said, Tarek and Adams, Callum E and Simionato, Gianluca and Kovalenko, Sergey and Dell’Amico, Luca and Van Der Veen, Renske M. and Pieber, Bartholomäus},
  issn         = {1520-5126},
  journal      = {Journal of the American Chemical Society},
  number       = {16},
  pages        = {13169–13179},
  publisher    = {American Chemical Society},
  title        = {{Evidence for a unifying NiI/NiIII mechanism in light-mediated cross-coupling catalysis}},
  doi          = {10.1021/jacs.4c16050},
  volume       = {147},
  year         = {2025},
}