Iron(II)-Catalyzed Intramolecular Aminohydroxylation of Olefins with Functionalized Hydroxylamines

Copper-Catalyzed Modular Amino Oxygenation of Alkenes: Access to Diverse 1,2-Amino Oxygen-Containing Skeletons

Copper-catalyzed alkene amino oxygenation reactions using O-acylhydroxylamines have been achieved for a rapid and modular access to diverse 1,2-amino oxygen-containing molecules. This transformation is applicable to the use of alcohols, carbonyls, oximes, and thio-carboxylic acids as nucleophiles on both terminal and internal alkenes. Mild reaction conditions tolerate a wide range of functional groups, including ether, ester, amide, carbamate, and halide. The reaction protocol allows for starting with free amines as the precursor of O-benzoylhydroxylamines to eliminate their isolation and purification, contributing to broader synthetic utilities. Mechanistic investigations reveal the amino oxygenation reactions may involve distinct pathways, depending on different oxygen nucleophiles.

Enantioselective Aminohydroxylation of Styrenyl Olefins Catalyzed by an Engineered Hemoprotein

Chiral 1,2-amino alcohols are widely represented in biologically active compounds from neurotransmitters to antivirals. While many synthetic methods have been developed for accessing amino alcohols, the direct aminohydroxylation of alkenes to unprotected, enantioenriched amino alcohols remains a challenge. Using directed evolution, we have engineered a hemoprotein biocatalyst based on a thermostable cytochrome c that directly transforms alkenes to amino alcohols with high enantioselectivity (up to 2500 TTN and 90 % ee) under anaerobic conditions with O-pivaloylhydroxylamine as an aminating reagent. The reaction is proposed to proceed via a reactive iron-nitrogen species generated in the enzyme active site, enabling tuning of the catalyst's activity and selectivity by protein engineering.

Catalytic Alkene Difunctionalization via Imidate Radicals

The first catalytic strategy to harness imidate radicals has been developed. This approach enables alkene difunctionalization of allyl alcohols by photocatalytic reduction of their oxime imidates. The ensuing imidate radicals undergo consecutive intra- and intermolecular reactions to afford (i) hydroamination, (ii) aminoalkylation, or (iii) aminoarylation, via three distinct radical mechanisms. The broad scope and utility of this catalytic method for imidate radical reactivity is presented, along with comparisons to other N-centered radicals and complementary, closed-shell imidate pathways.

Directed, Palladium(II)-Catalyzed Intermolecular Aminohydroxylation of Alkenes Using a Mild Oxidation System

A palladium(II)-catalyzed β,γ-aminohydroxylation reaction of nonconjugated alkenyl carbonyl compounds has been developed. This reaction utilizes a cleavable bidentate directing group to achieve regioselective aminopalladation. The resulting chelation-stabilized alkylpalladium(II) intermediate is then hydroxylated using oxygen/2,6-dimethylbenzoquinone in HFIP as the mild oxidation system. Under the optimized conditions, various nucleophiles and alkene substrates are capable of delivering good yields and high diastereoselectivities of the aminohydroxylated products.

Rhodium-Catalyzed Cyclization of O,ω-Unsaturated Alkoxyamines: Formation of Oxygen-Containing Heterocycles

O,ω-Unsaturated N-tosyl alkoxyamines undergo unexpected Rh^III -catalyzed intramolecular cyclization by oxyamination to produce oxygen-containing heterocycles. Mechanistic studies show that an aziridine intermediate seems to be responsible for the formation of the heterocycles, possibly via a Rh^V species.

Ni-Catalyzed 1,2-iminoacylation of alkenes via a reductive strategy

The reductive difunctionalization strategy was successfully applied in the Ni-catalyzed 1,2-iminoacylation reaction of oxime ester-tethered olefins with electrophilic acylating reagents, providing an efficient entry to diverse pyrrolines under safe and mild reaction conditions.

Iridium catalyzed fragmentation/cyclization of N-butynyl 4,4-dimethylisoxazolidine-3,5-diones: a unique access to multiply substituted pyrroles

A novel protocol for the synthesis of multiply substituted pyrroles has been developed through the iridium catalyzed fragmentation/cyclization of N-butynyl 4,4-dimethylisoxazolidine-3,5-diones in hot ethanol.

Catalytic substitution/cyclization sequences of O-substituted Isocyanates: synthesis of 1-alkoxybenzimidazolones and 1-alkoxy-3,4-dihydroquinazolin-2(1H)-ones

O-Substituted isocyanates (O-isocyanates) have rarely been used in organic synthesis, given their tendency to undergo side reactions (e.g., trimerization). Herein, we show that masked (blocked) O-isocyanate precursors allow one-pot or cascade reaction sequences featuring base-catalyzed substitution with 2-iodoanilines and 2-iodobenzylamines followed by copper-catalyzed cyclization, to form benzimidazolones and 3,4-dihydroquinazolin-2(1H)-ones. This work shows that O-isocyanates can serve as efficient building blocks for the synthesis of hydroxylamine-containing heterocycles.

Asymmetric Radical Bicyclization of Allyl Azidoformates via Cobalt(II)-Based Metalloradical Catalysis

Cobalt(II)-based metalloradical catalysis has been successfully applied to radical bicyclization of allyl azidoformates to construct aziridine/oxazolidinone-fused bicyclic structures. The Co(II) complex of D2-symmetric chiral amidoporphyrin 3,5-DitBu-QingPhyrin has been identified as an effective metalloradical catalyst for the intramolecular radical aziridination of this type of carbonyl azides, allowing for high-yielding formation of synthetically useful chiral [3.1.0]-bicyclic aziridines with high diastereo- and enantioselectivity.

An L-threonine transaldolase is required for L-threo-β-hydroxy-α-amino acid assembly during obafluorin biosynthesis

β-Lactone natural products occur infrequently in nature but possess a variety of potent and valuable biological activities. They are commonly derived from β-hydroxy-α-amino acids, which are themselves valuable chiral building blocks for chemical synthesis and precursors to numerous important medicines. However, despite a number of excellent synthetic methods for their asymmetric synthesis, few effective enzymatic tools exist for their preparation. Here we report cloning of the biosynthetic gene cluster for the β-lactone antibiotic obafluorin and delineate its biosynthetic pathway. We identify a nonribosomal peptide synthetase with an unusual domain architecture and an L-threonine:4-nitrophenylacetaldehyde transaldolase responsible for (2S,3R)-2-amino-3-hydroxy-4-(4-nitrophenyl)butanoate biosynthesis. Phylogenetic analysis sheds light on the evolutionary origin of this rare enzyme family and identifies further gene clusters encoding L-threonine transaldolases. We also present preliminary data suggesting that L-threonine transaldolases might be useful for the preparation of L-threo-β-hydroxy-α-amino acids.

Practical Synthetic Procedures for the Iron-Catalyzed Intermolecular Olefin Aminohydroxylation Using Functionalized Hydroxylamines

A set of practical synthetic procedures for the iron-catalyzed intermolecular olefin aminohydroxylation reactions in gram scale is reported. In these transformations, a bench-stable functionalized hydroxylamine is applied as the amination reagent. This method is compatible with a broad range of synthetically valuable olefins including those that are incompatible with the existing aminohydroxylation methods. It also provides valuable amino alcohol building blocks with regio- and stereo-chemical arrays that are complementary to known methods.

In situ tether formation from amines and alcohols enabling highly selective Tsuji-Trost allylation and olefin functionalization

The use of tethers allows to overcome reactivity and selectivity issues often encountered with intermolecular reactions. Although tethers have been successfully applied for decades, their installation and removal usually requires additional steps. This minireview highlights the recent development of tethers that can be installed in situ on (homo)-allyl amines or alcohols for Tsuji-Trost allylation or double bond functionalization. In particular, the use of (hemi-)acetal tethers for highly regioselective and enantioselective Tsuji-Trost allylation was recently reported. Hydroamination of olefins starting from allylic amines could be achieved via a retro Cope-elimination using catalytic amount of an aldehyde for tether formation. Finally, bifunctionalizations of olefins were developed using either carbon dioxide or carbonyls/imines as tether precursors. These recent breakthroughs greatly enhanced the efficiency of the tethering approach for olefin functionalization, and will make it even more attractive for synthetic chemists in the future.

Visible-Light Promoted Distereodivergent Intramolecular Oxyamidation of Alkenes

The visible-light-promoted diastereodivergent intramolecular oxyamination of alkenes is described to construct oxazolindinones, pyrrolidinones and imidazolidones via mild generation of primary amidyl radicals from functionalized hydroxylamines. A unique phenomenon of highly diastereoselective ring-opening of aziridines controlled by electron sacrifices was observed. Highly diastereoselective amino alcohols derivatives were obtained efficiently through this protocol in gram scales. The mechanistic studies suggested the isolatable anti-aziridine intermediates were generated quickly from primary amidyl radicals and the diastereoselectivities were controlled by pK_a values of the electron sacrifices.

Synthesis of Secondary Unsaturated Lactams via an Aza-Heck Reaction

The preparation of unsaturated secondary lactams via the palladium-catalyzed cyclization of O-phenyl hydroxamates onto a pendent alkene is reported. This method provides rapid access to a broad range of lactams that are widely useful building blocks in alkaloid synthesis. Mechanistic studies support an aza-Heck-type pathway.

Iron(II)-Catalyzed Intermolecular Aminofluorination of Unfunctionalized Olefins Using Fluoride Ion

We herein report a new catalytic method for intermolecular olefin aminofluorination using earth-abundant iron catalysts and nucleophilic fluoride ion. This method tolerates a broad range of unfunctionalized olefins, especially nonstyrenyl olefins that are incompatible with existing olefin aminofluorination methods. This new iron-catalyzed process directly converts readily available olefins to internal vicinal fluoro carbamates with high regioselectivity (N vs F), many of which are difficult to prepare using known methods. Preliminary mechanistic studies demonstrate that it is possible to exert asymmetric induction using chiral iron catalysts and that both an iron-nitrenoid and carbocation species may be reactive intermediates.

New amination strategies based on nitrogen-centered radical chemistry

The interesting and diverse biological activities of nitrogen-containing compounds make the construction of the C-N bond of great importance. Despite the tremendous advances that have been made in this research field, C-N bond formation based on nitrogen-centered radicals remains a significant challenge due to the harsh conditions required for the generation of nitrogen-centered radicals and their propensity for hydrogen abstraction or engaging in other degradation pathways. In the past several years, novel methodologies for C-N bond constructions based on nitrogen centered-radical intermediates, coordinated with metal or generated in the presence of visible-light and a photocatalyst, have attracted considerable attention. This tutorial review will summarize the significant progress of these efficient and mild radical amination reactions, with an emphasis on approaches for the generation of nitrogen-centered radicals and their reaction patterns, related mechanisms and synthetic applications, as well as unmet challenges in this emerging and promising field.

Copper-catalyzed aminooxygenation of styrenes with N-fluorobenzenesulfonimide and N-hydroxyphthalimide derivatives

A copper-catalyzed aminooxygenation reaction of styrenes with N-fluorobenzenesulfonimide and N-hydroxyphthalimide derivatives has been developed. The aminooxygenation product could be converted into the corresponding alcohol or free amine through the cleavage of the N–O or C–N bond of the N-hydroxyphthalimide moiety.

Direct Catalytic Synthesis of Unprotected 2-Amino-1-Phenylethanols from Alkenes by Using Iron(II) Phthalocyanine

Aryl-substituted amino alcohols are privileged scaffolds in medicinal chemistry and natural products. Herein, we report that an exceptionally simple and inexpensive Fe(II) complex efficiently catalyzes the direct transformation of simple alkenes into unprotected amino alcohols in good yield and perfect regioselectivity. This new catalytic method was applied in the expedient synthesis of bioactive molecules and could be extended to aminoetherification.

Iron-Catalyzed Direct Diazidation for a Broad Range of Olefins

Reported herein is a new iron-catalyzed diastereoselective olefin diazidation reaction which occurs at room temperature (1-5 mol% of catalysts and d.r. values of up to >20:1). This method tolerates a broad range of both unfunctionalized and highly functionalized olefins, including those that are incompatible with existing methods. It also provides a convenient approach to vicinal primary diamines as well as other synthetically valuable nitrogen-containing building blocks which are difficult to obtain with alternative methods. Preliminary mechanistic studies suggest that the reaction may proceed through a new mechanistic pathway in which both Lewis acid activation and iron-enabled redox-catalysis are crucial for selective azido-group transfer.

Iron bis(oxazoline) complexes in asymmetric catalysis

Asymmetric reactions catalyzed by iron complexes have attracted considerable attention because iron is a ubiquitous, inexpensive, and environmentally benign metal. This overview charts the development and application of chiral iron bis(oxazoline) and pyridine-2,6-bis(oxazoline) catalysts through their most prominent and innovative uses in asymmetric catalysis, especially in Lewis acid and oxidation catalysis.

Copper-catalyzed oxyamination of electron-deficient alkenes with N-acyloxyamines

An intermolecular version of copper-catalyzed oxyamination of electron-deficient alkenes by making use of N-acyloxyamines as both amino and oxygen donors was developed.

From glycals to aminosugars: a challenging test for new stereoselective aminohydroxylation and related methodologies

The most relevant methods to access 1-, 2-, 3-amino or 1,2-diaminosugars starting from unsaturated carbohydrates are concisely reviewed; the given examples illustrate the great challenges offered to several stereoselective strategies.

Catalyst-Controlled Amino- versus Oxy-Acetoxylation of Urea-Tethered Alkenes: Efficient Synthesis of Cyclic Ureas and Isoureas

A catalyst-controlled vicinal amino- versus oxy-acetoxylation of alkenes with PhI(OAc)2 as the oxidant is described. The divergent synthesis of cyclic ureas and isoureas was achieved in good yields under mild conditions employing ambident urea nucleophiles. Both terminal and internal alkenes are compatible with this reaction protocol.

Iron-Catalyzed Diastereoselective Intramolecular Olefin Aminobromination with Bromide Ion

A new iron-catalyzed diastereoselective aminobromination method is reported for both internal and terminal olefins (yield up to 90% and dr up to >20:1). In this transformation, a functionalized hydroxylamine and bromide ion were used as the nitrogen and bromine source, respectively. This method is compatible with a broad range of olefins and provides a convenient approach to synthetically valuable vicinal bromo primary amines. Our studies suggest that both the diastereoselectivity and enantioselectivity for the olefin aminobromination can be controlled by iron catalysts.

Iron(II)-catalyzed asymmetric intramolecular olefin aminochlorination using chloride ion

An iron-catalyzed enantioselective and diastereoselective intramolecular olefin aminochlorination reaction is reported (ee up to 92%, dr up to 15 : 1). In this reaction, a functionalized hydroxylamine and chloride ion are utilized as nitrogen and chlorine sources, respectively. This new method tolerates a range of synthetically valuable internal olefins that are all incompatible with existing asymmetric olefin aminochlorination methods.