Mechanism and selectivity on IrIII/RhIII-catalyzed coupling of terminal alkenes and dioxazolones: A DFT study

Abstract The Cp*IrIII-catalyzed coupling of terminal alkenes with dioxazolones to achieve C H amidation was studied theoretically with the aid of the density functional calculations. Employing the Ir=nitrenoid intermediate species involved in the reaction mechanism, the Ir N R bonding nature was analyzed based on LUMO/HOMO interactions. Especially, the branch-selectivity with Cp*Ir(III) as the catalyst, the influence of Ir(III) vs Rh(III) on branch/linear selectivity, and the impossibility of aziridination were elucidated. This work provided further understanding and beneficial information for designing novel related selective reactions.