Palladium-Catalyzed C–H Amination/[2 + 3] or [2 + 4] Cyclization via C(sp3 or sp2)–H Activation

This report describes a palladium-catalyzed Catellani reaction consisting of amination/[2 + 3] or [2 + 4] cyclization via a carboxylate ligand-exchange strategy. This method effectively activates ortho-substituents that avoid a second C–H palladation. The scope of substrates was broad, o-methyl-substituted iodoarenes were applied to the reaction smoothly, and o-phenyl-substituted iodoarenes can also be obtained by this method. In terms of mechanism, density functional theory calculations proved the sequence of the key five-membered aryl-norbornene-palladacycle intermediate formation and C(sp3 or sp2)–H activation.