Iridium-catalyzed hydroiodination of functionalized alkynes

The efficiency of an Ir(I)/HI system has been studied. The association of hydroiodic acid with iridium has been tested in the catalytic hydroiodination of alkynes. The use of [Ir(cod)Cl]2 dimer led to clean hydroiodination reactions and afforded the corresponding vinyliodides as a mixture of derivatives, where the Markovnikov type adduct was found to be the major product (80/20 to 93/7 ratio), in good yields. The mechanism was investigated and two main pathways seemed to be involved, one based on an initial oxidative addition of HI to the Ir(I) complex and the other one based on a π-activation of the alkyne moiety. The corresponding vinyliodides were engaged in Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling (Sonogashira and Suzuki–Miyaura) reactions under organoaqueuous conditions.