Iridium complexes intermolecular oxidative addition

Examples of catalytic formation of C-C bonds from sp C-H bonds are even more scarce than from sp C-H bonds and, in general, are limited to C-H bonds adjacent to heteroatoms. A remarkable iridium-catalyzed example was reported by the group of Lin [116] the intermolecular oxidative coupling of methyl ethers with TBE to form olefin complexes in the presence of (P Pr3)2lrH5 (29). In their proposed mechanism, the reactive 14e species 38 undergoes oxidative addition of the methyl C-H bond in methyl ethers followed by olefin insertion to generate the intermediate 39. p-hydride elimination affords 35, which can isomerize to products 36 and 37 (Scheme 10). The reaction proceeds under mild condition (50°C) but suffers from poor selectivity as well as low yield (TON of 12 after 24 h). 

Iridium monohydrides may be prepared by the reaction of suitable iridium precursors with dihydrogcn via heterolytic splitting mediated intra- or intermolecularly by an external base or by oxidative addition of hydrogenated substrates (HX) to a low-valent iridium complex. Nucleophilic attack by hydride anion and / -elimination from coordinated ligand may also result in the formation of Ir-H bonds. 

Iridium The intermolecular hydroamination of unactivated C=C bonds in ct-olefins (RCH=CH2) and bicycloalkenes (norbornene and norbornadiene) with arylamides (ArCONH2) and sulfonamides has been attained upon catalysis by chiral iridium complexes (PP)IrHCl(NHCOAr)(NH2COAr) [PP = chiral bidentate diphosphine]. Mechanistic studies identified the product of N-H bond oxidative addition and coordination of the amide as the resting state of the catalyst. Rapid, reversible dissociation of the amide precedes reaction with the alkene, but an intramolecular, kinetically significant rearrangement of the species occurs before the reaction with alkene. ... 

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