Abstract
The ligand of an organometallic complex is typically considered as a spectator which can be modified to tune the steric and electronic properties of the coordination environment. We herein demonstarted a (PNP)-P-3*Rh-CO pincer system where one of the C-H bonds of the pseudo-dearomatized pyridine ring was oxidized by O-2 at room temperature to create an alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl functionality on the ligand backbone. The resulting metal complex with the post-modified (PNP)-P-3 ligand readily reacts with thiophenol and 4-methylaniline to afford the corresponding oxidative Michael addition products.