Aminoethyl-functionalized cyclopentadienyliridium complexes: Photochemical C-H activation and carbonylation of cycloalkanes

The photochemical C-H activation of cycloalkanes by aminoethyl-functionalized cyclopentadienyliridium complexes proceeds in a broadly similar way to that for their unfunctionalized analogues. In a carbon monoxide atmosphere, there is evidence that carbonylation to form the carboxaldehyde occurred with both systems. In situ infrared spectroscopic studies on these reactions allow the identification of several species present in low concentrations in the reaction mixture.