Chloramine-T as Nitrene Precursor

As stated in the introduction, chloramine-T (where T denotes three crystalline water molecules) is a commonly used nitrene precursor, which is commercially available and costs less than do most other nitrene sources. The benefit of a silver salt in nitrene transfer reactions with chloramine-T is surprisingly simple. Because silver chloride is insoluble in most solvents, substoichiometric amounts of silver salts (like silver nitrate) can be used to remove the chloride from chloramine to facilitate the release of a free nitrene radical, which can aziridinate olefins. Since the amount of silver is near stoichiometric, it should not be called silver-based catalysis, although turnover numbers (TONs) higher than 1 have been observed in some cases. 

In 2001, Rai first reported such a transformation.14 The work specifically noted that the reaction favors aprotic solvents such as THF. This statement was challenged by Komatsu shortly thereafter, who found no reactivity in THF but high conversions in CH2CI2 or benzene for the same reaction.15 Solvent grade or quality may play an important role less likely but still possible, the grade or quality of silver nitrate used may also be a factor. 

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