Rhodium(III)-Catalyzed Hydroamination of Aromatic Terminal Alkynes with Anilines

The dinuclear Rh(III) species [Cp*RhCl2](2) catalyzes the hydroamination reaction between an aromatic terminal alkyne (ArCCH) and an aniline (Ar'NH2), in the presence of a salt additive, to afford the ketimine Ar'N=C(Me)(Ar). A reaction pathway has been proposed on the basis of experimental and computational studies.