Rhodium-catalyzed direct C-H amination of benzamides with aryl azides: a synthetic route to diarylamines.

No muss, no fuss: A rhodium-catalyzed direct intermolecular C-H amination of benzamides and ketoximes using aryl azides as the amine source has been developed. The reaction exhibits a broad substrate scope with excellent functional-group tolerance, requires no external oxidants, releases N(2) as the only by-product, and produces diarylamines in high yields.