Versatile C-H amidations of synthetically useful ferrocenes were accomplished by weakly-coordinating thiocarbonyl-assisted cobalt catalysis. Thus, carboxylates enabled ferrocene C-H nitrogenations with dioxazolones, featuring ample substrate scope and robust functional group tolerance. Mechanistic studies provided strong support for a facile organometallic C-H activation manifold.
Keywords: C–H activation; amidation; cobalt; ferrocene; mechanochemistry.