[Cu(bipy)(C
6
F
5
)] reacts with most aryl iodides
to form heterobiphenyls by cross-coupling, but when Rf–I is
used (Rf = 3,5-dicholoro-2,4,6-trifluorophenyl), homocoupling products
are also formed. Kinetic studies suggest that, for the homocoupling
reaction, a mechanism based on transmetalation from [Cu(bipy)(C
6
F
5
)] to Cu(III) intermediates formed in the oxidative
addition step is at work. Density functional theory calculations show
that the interaction between these Cu(III) species and the starting
Cu(I) complex involves a Cu(I)–Cu(III) electron transfer concerted
with the formation of an iodine bridge between the metals and that
a fast transmetalation takes place in a dimer in a triplet state between
two Cu(II) units.