Formal SN-Type Reactions in Rhodium(III)-Catalyzed C-H Bond Activation

(Pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)rhodium (RhCp*)-catalyzed CH transformations have emerged as a prosperous field in CH bond activation. Recent advances in this area have significantly focused on the development of new strategies for CC and Cheteroatom bond formation that are characterized by the novel reactivity of the RhCp* catalyst to undergo formal S-N-type reactions with electrophilic substrates. This review is intended to give an overview on this rather new class of RhCp*-catalyzed CH transformations, covering recent CC and Cheteroatom bond-forming reactions. The nature of the reaction partner in these CH functionalization reactions serves as a guideline throughout this article and, combined with selected descriptions of mechanistic proposals, should emphasize general characteristics of transformations within this novel reaction class.