A simple method for direct C–H imidation is reported using a new perester-based self-immolating reagent and a base-metal catalyst. The succinimide products obtained can be easily deprotected in situ (if desired) to reveal the corresponding anilines directly. The scope of the reaction is broad, the conditions are extremely mild, and the reaction is tolerant of oxidizable and acid-labile functionality, multiple heteroatoms, and aryl iodides. Mechanistic studies indicate that ferrocene (Cp2Fe) plays the role of an electron shuttle in the decomposition of the perester reagent, delivering a succinimidyl radical ready to add to an aromatic system.

A simple method to convert readily available carboxylic acids into sulfinate salts employing an interrupted Barton decarboxylation reaction is reported. A medicinally oriented panel of ten new sulfinate reagents was created using this method, including a key trifluoromethylcyclopropanation reagent TFCS-Na. The reactivity of six of these salts towards C–H functionalization was field-tested using several different classes of heterocycles.

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Solving the puzzles: Total synthesis played a key role in the elucidation of the stereochemistry and verification of the constitution of the complex polymeric natural product psychotetramine. The route features three powerful assembly processes that enabled four rounds of total synthesis‐guided structure determination. The pursuit of this alkaloid also led to an improved procedure for indole–aniline coupling and a highly efficient enantioselective synthesis of psychotrimine.

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