Facile C-H bond activation on a transient gallium imide.

Reaction of NacNacGa with azide N 3 SiMe 3 results in the generation of a transient imide NacNacGa(NSiMe 3 ) that can cleave unactivated sp 3 C-H and sp 2 C-H bonds of different substrates, affording gallium amides. Pyridine, cyclohexanone, ethyl acetate, DMSO, and triethylphosphine oxide were activated in this process producing corresponding gallium amides. All new compounds were characterised by multinuclear NMR and X-ray diffraction.