The roles of Lewis acids in nickel catalysis

Due to the global demand for more sustainable chemical production, Ni-catalysis has attracted significant attention, leading to the discovery of a plethora of powerful synthetic transformations. However, the mechanisms by which these transformations occur are still shrouded in mystery and poorly understood. In particular, the roles that Lewis acids can undertake in Ni-catalysis can often complicate the mechanistic picture. Herein, we discuss several examples that demonstrate the beneficial, and detrimental, effects Lewis acids can have in Ni-catalysis.