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

The dinuclear Rh(III) species [Cp*RhCl 2 ] 2 catalyzes the hydroamination reaction between an aromatic terminal alkyne (ArCCH) and an aniline (Ar′NH 2 ), 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.