Enantioselective intramolecular amidation of aliphatic sulfonamides was achieved for the first time by means of chiral carboxylatodirhodium(II) catalysts in conjunction with PhI(OAc) 2 and MgO in high yields and with enantioselectivities of up to 66% (Scheme 3, Table 1 isoquinoline-2-acetato). In addition, these carboxylatodirhodium(II) catalysts were also efficient in intramolecular amidations of aliphatic sulfamates esters, although the enantioselectivity of these latter reactions was significantly lower (Scheme 4, Table 3).Introduction. ± Amidation of saturated CÀH bonds and aziridination of olefins catalyzed by metal complexes based on Fe, Mn, Ru, Cu, or Rh are established methodologies for CÀN bond-formation [1] and, consequently, for the synthesis of amine derivatives. Some years ago, the Rh II -catalyzed aziridination [2] and sulfonamidation [3] with phenyliodinanes derived from aromatic sulfonamides has been investigated in our group. The reactions exhibited features analogous to the corresponding metal-catalyzed carbene-transfer reactions [4]. The aziridination was found to be stereospecific, except in the case of stilbene, and the amidation proceeded with retention of configuration at the reacting C-atom, indicating intervention of a metal-complexed nitrene, in analogy to the corresponding intermediate metallocarbenes resulting from decomposition of diazo compounds with Rh II catalysts. Some preliminary experiments showed that the system was suitable for asymmetric nitrene transfer. However, it suffered several shortcomings. Owing to the requirement of aromatic sulfonamides as precursors for the phenyliodinanes [5], the possibilities of carrying out intramolecular aziridinations and/or amidations [6] appeared very limited. In addition, a large excess of substrate was necessary in the case of intermolecular reactions to achieve satisfactory yields, while reactions carried out with an excess of reagent over the substrate produced unsatisfactory results. Finally, some reactions, in particular intermolecular amidations, proceeded very sluggishly and resulted in decomposition of the phenyliodinanes to afford sulfonamides without generation of the expected products of nitrene insertion.The transition-metal-catalyzed nitrene transfer has been further developed by other groups. Dodd, Dauban, and co-workers reported that, contrary to the traditional opinion [7], phenyliodinanes derived from aliphatic sulfonamides are isolable and may be used for nitrene-transfer reactions [8]. In addition, they found conditions allowing