Regioselective Gold-Catalyzed Oxidative C–N Bond Formation

A novel protocol for the regioselective intermolecular amination of various arenes has been developed. By using an I­(III) oxidant in the presence of a Au­(I) catalyst, a direct and novel route for regioselectively accessing a variety of substituted aniline moieties has been achieved with yields as high as 90%. Mechanistic insight suggests that regioselectivity can be predicted based on electrophilic aromatic metalation patterns.