Chemoselective Carbene insertion into the N-H Bond over O-H Bond Using a Well-Defined Single Site (P-P)Cu(I) Catalyst.

Phosphine-coordinated air-stable Cu(I) catalyst (1) has been synthesized and characterized. Catalyst 1 is found to be active toward highly chemoselective carbene insertion into the N-H bond over the O-H bond and also over the formation of olefins when numerous aminophenols were treated with a variety of α-aryl diazoesters under normal experimental conditions.