Air‐Stable Carbonyl(pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)cobalt Diiodide Complex as a Precursor for Cationic (Pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)cobalt(III) Catalysis: Application for Directed C‐2 Selective CH Amidation of Indoles

Abstract The readily available carbonyl(pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)cobalt diiodide complex [Cp*Co(CO)I 2 ] was successfully utilized as the precursor of a cationic cobalt(III) active catalyst for directed CH bond functionalization. The complex Cp*Co(CO)I 2 (2.5–1.25 mol%), in combination with silver hexafluoroantimonate (AgSbF 6 ) and potassium acetate (KOAc), efficiently catalyzed the directed C‐2 selective amidation of indoles with sulfonyl azides, and the corresponding products were obtained in 85–98 % yield. magnified image