Aerobic Oxidative Homocoupling of Aryl Amines Using Heterogeneous Rhodium Catalysts

The first heterogeneous catalyzed oxidative coupling of aryl amines is reported. Aryl amines were dimerized at room temperature under air using a heterogeneous Rh/C catalyst in the presence of acids. By choosing a suitable acidic solvent, biaryl compounds and carbazoles were selectively prepared in good yields. This reaction is operationally simple and provides an efficient synthetic methodology for the preparation of biaryl diamines via oxidative C-H activation.