The synthesis of a new family of 10-I-3 hypervalent iodine compounds is described in which the CF3 functionality participates directly in the hypervalent bond. These materials are accessible by nucleophilic ligand substitution at iodine using Me3SiCF3 in the presence of a substoichiometric amount of fluoride. The expected T-shaped geometry at iodine was verified by X-ray crystallographic analyses of three of the products (1-trifluoromethyl-1,2-benziodoxol-3-(1 H)-one and two substituted 1-trifluoromethyl-1,3-dihydro-1,2-benziodoxoles). Preliminary results for the direct electrophilic transfer of the trifluoromethyl moiety onto organic nucleophiles show modest reactivity in polar aprotic solvents under relatively mild conditions. The overall process can be understood as a formal umpolung of the CF3 group.

Inexpensive, recyclable, and activable: these are the features of a new mild electrophilic trifluoromethylation reagent that can be used to transfer a CF3 group to C‐centered nucleophiles, such as β‐keto esters and α‐nitro esters, and to S‐centered nucleophiles (see scheme).

Selective alpha-C-H activation results in the synthesis of the first bridging metallaaziridine complex for the catalytic alpha-alkylation of primary amines. Reaction development led to the preparation of new Zr 2-pyridonate complexes for this useful transformation. No nitrogen protecting groups are required for this reaction, which is capable of assembling quaternary chiral centers alpha to nitrogen. Preliminary mechanistic investigations suggest bridging metallaaziridine species are the catalytically active intermediates for this alpha-functionalization reaction, while monomeric imido complexes furnish azepane hydroamination products.

Discrete three-coordinate borenium salts 1c and 1d are accessed by cooperative Lewis acid-base pair-mediated heterolytic splitting of the B-H bond in pinacolborane by B(C(6)F(5))(3)·DABCO and Ph(3)C(+)/DABCO, respectively. The resulting salts are competent catalysts in the reduction of a broad range of imines and can be generated in situ. Moreover, a mechanistic framework for borenium catalysis based on experimental evidence is proposed. The reaction is suggested to proceed by borenium activation of the imine substrate followed by counterintuitive hydride delivery from HBPin (with the assistance of DABCO) rather than from the HB(C(6)F(5))(3)(-) anion, contrary to typical mechanisms of reduction in FLP systems.

Tantalizing reactivity: New mono‐ and bis(amidate)–tantalum complexes have been prepared, characterized, and used for the catalytic α‐alkylation of secondary amines (see scheme). Spontaneous β‐hydrogen abstraction is observed to give a fully characterized example of the first catalytically active tantallaaziridine complex.