Cyclometalated Half-Sandwich Iridium(III) Complexes: Synthesis, Structure, and Diverse Catalytic Activity in Imine Synthesis Using Air as the Oxidant

Four air-stable cyclometalated half-sandwich iridium complexes 1-4 with C,N-donor Schiff base ligands were prepared through C-H activation in moderate-to-good yields. These complexes have been well characterized, and their exact structure was elaborated on by single-crystal X-ray analysis. The iridium(III) complexes 1-4 showed good catalytic activity in the imine synthesis under open-flask conditions (air as the oxidant) from primary amine oxidative homocoupling, secondary amine dehydrogenation, and the cross-coupling reaction of amine and alcohol. Substituents bonded on the ligands of the iridium complexes displayed little effect on the catalytic efficiency. The stability and good catalytic efficiency of the iridium catalysts, mild reaction conditions, and substrate universality showed their potential application in industrial production.