Anti-Markovnikov hydroamination and hydrothiolation of electron-deficient vinylarenes catalyzed by well-defined monomeric copper(<scp>i</scp>) amido and thiolate complexes

Abstract

Monomeric Cu(I) amido and thiolate complexes that are supported by the N-heterocyclic carbene ligand 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)imidazol-2-ylidene (IPr) catalyze the hydroamination and hydrothiolation of electron-deficient vinylarenes with reactivity patterns that are consistent with an intermolecular nucleophilic addition of the amido/thiolate ligand of (IPr)Cu(XR) (X = NH or S; R = Ph, CH2Ph) to free vinylarene.