Rhodium‐Catalyzed CS and CN Functionalization of Arenes: Combination of CH Activation and Hypervalent Iodine Chemistry

Rhodium-catalyzed sulfonylation, thioetherification, thiocyanation, and other heterofunctionalizations of arenes bearing a heterocyclic directing group have been realized. The reaction proceeds by initial Rh(III) -catalyzed C-H hyperiodination of arene at room temperature followed by uncatalyzed nucleophilic functionalization. A diaryliodonium salt is isolated as an intermediate, which represents umpolung of the arene substrate, in contrast to previous studies that suggested umpolung of the coupling partner.