Intermolecular C-H activation with an Ir-METAMORPhos piano-stool complex--multiple reaction steps at a reactive ligand.

Substrate activation by means of a reactive ligand is a topic of much interest. Herein we describe a stoichiometric anti-Markovnikov C-N bond formation involving ligand reactivity in multiple steps along the reaction coordinate, including ligand assisted substrate (de)protonation and C-N bond formation, as illustrated by a combined experimental, spectroscopic and computational study. This affords a highly unusual four-membered iridacycle bearing an exo-cyclic C=C double bond.