Kuangbiao Liao, Solymar Negretti, Djamaladdin G. Musaev, John Bacsa & Huw M. L. Davies Emory University, Atlanta, USA. Nature 2016 , 533 , 230 http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v533/n7602/pdf/nature17651.pdf Abstruct The laboratory synthesis of complex organic molecules relies heavily on the introduction and manipulation of functional groups, such as carbon–oxygen or carbon–halogen bonds; carbon–hydrogen bonds are far less reactive and harder to functionalize selectively. The idea of C–H functionalization, in which C–H bonds are modified at will instead of the functional groups, represents a paradigm shift in the standard logic of organic synthesis. For this approach to be generally useful, effective strategies for site-selective C–H functionalization need to be developed. The most practical solutions to the site-selectivity problem rely on either intramolecular reactions4 or the use of directing groups within the substrate. A challenging, but potenti...