Mechanochemical Rhodium(III)-Catalyzed C-H Bond Functionalization of Acetanilides under Solventless Conditions in a Ball Mill

In a proof-of-principle study, a planetary ball mill was applied to rhodium(III)-catalyzed C-H bond functionalization. Under solventless conditions and in the presence of a minute amount of Cu(OAc)(2), the mechanochemical activation led to the formation of an active rhodium species, thus enabling an oxidative Heck-type cross-coupling reaction with dioxygen as the terminal oxidant. The absence of an organic solvent, the avoidance of a high reaction temperature, the possibility of minimizing the amount of the metallic mediator, and the simplicity of the protocol result in a powerful and environmentally benign alternative to the common solution-based standard protocol.