{'fraction_non_alphanumeric': 0.032490974729241874, 'fraction_numerical': 0.001444043321299639, 'mean_word_length': 5.16, 'pattern_counts': {'":': 0, '<': 0, '<?xml version=': 0, '>': 0, 'https://': 0, 'lorem ipsum': 0, 'www.': 0, 'xml': 0}, 'pii_count': 0, 'substrings_counts': 0, 'word_list_counts': {'cursed_substrings.json': 0, 'profanity_word_list.json': 0, 'sexual_word_list.json': 0, 'zh_pornsignals.json': 0}}
A potential role of a substrate as a base for the deprotonation pathway in Rh-catalysed C-H amination of heteroarenes: DFT insights.

The possibility of direct introduction of a new functionality through C-H bond activation is an attractive strategy in covalent synthesis. Here, we investigated the mechanism of Rh-catalysed C-H amination of the heteroaryl substrate (2-phenylpyridine) using phenyl azide as a nitrogen source by density functional theory (DFT). For the deprotocyclometallation and protodecyclometallation processes of the title reaction, we propose a stepwise base-assisted mechanism (pathway I) instead of the previously reported concerted mechanism (pathway II). In the new mechanism proposed here, 2-phenylpyridine acts as a base in the initial deprotonation step (C-H bond cleavage) and transports the proton towards the final protonation step. In fact, the N-H bond of the strong conjugate acid (formed during the initial C-H bond cleavage) considered in pathway I (via) is more acidic than the C-H bond of the neutral substrate considered in pathway II (via). The higher activation barrier of mainly originates from the ring strain of the four-membered cyclic transition state. The vital role of the base, as disclosed here, can potentially have broader mechanistic implications for the development of reaction conditions of transition metal-catalysed reactions.