3-Arylaziridine-2-carboxylic Acid Derivatives and (3-Arylaziridin-2-yl)ketones: The Aziridination Approaches

Aziridination reactions represent a powerful tool in aziridine synthesis. Significant progress has been achieved in this field in the last decades, whereas highly functionalized aziridines including 3-arylated aziridine-2-carbonyl compounds play an important role in both medical and synthetic chemistry. For the reasons listed, in the current review we have focused on the ways to obtain 3-arylated aziridines and on the recent advances (mainly since the year 2000) in the methodology of the synthesis of these compounds via aziridination.

Construction of N-Alkyl- and N-Arylaziridines from Unprotected Amines via C-H Oxidative Amination Strategy

A copper-promoted intramolecular C-H oxidative amination reaction between secondary amine (N-H) and C(sp³)-H at the benzylic position of azaarenes or α-position of ketones for the synthesis of aziridine derivatives has been developed. Moreover, a practical annulation of electron-deficient vinylarenes with an unprotected primary alkyl amine by a Yb(OTf)₃-CuI relay system has also been reported. The reactions were carried out with oxygen as the sole oxidant to give the N-alkyl- and N-arylaziridines in good yields.

Enantioselective [3+2] cycloaddition of azomethine ylides and aldehydes via Ni/bis(oxazoline)-catalyzed ring opening of N-tosylaziridines through a chirality transfer approach

An enantioselective [3+2] cycloaddition of N-tosylaziridines and aldehydes catalyzed by a Ni(ii)-bisoxazoline complex has been accomplished through a chirality transfer approach.

A novel homobimetallic nickel complex for the asymmetric direct Mannich reaction of imines: a practical method on a multi-gram scale

A practical asymmetric direct Mannich reaction catalyzed by a homobimetallic nickel complex with a low catalyst loading on a preparative scale.

Copper(II) triflate catalyzed amination and aziridination of 2-alkyl substituted 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds

A method to prepare α-acyl-β-amino acid and 2,2-diacyl aziridine derivatives efficiently from Cu(OTf)(2) + 1,10-phenanthroline (1,10-phen)-catalyzed amination and aziridination of 2-alkyl substituted 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds with PhI═NTs is described. By taking advantage of the orthogonal modes of reactivity of the substrate through slight modification of the reaction conditions, a divergence in product selectivity was observed. In the presence of 1.2 equiv of the iminoiodane, amination of the allylic C-H bond of the enolic form of the substrate, formed in situ through coordination to the Lewis acidic metal catalyst, was found to selectively occur and give the β-aminated adduct. On the other hand, increasing the amount of the nitrogen source from 1.2 to 2-3 equiv was discovered to result in preferential formal aziridination of the C-C bond of the 2-alkyl substituent of the starting material and formation of the aziridine product.

Lewis acid-catalyzed [3 + 2]cyclo-addition of alkynes with N-tosyl-aziridines via carbon-carbon bond cleavage: synthesis of highly substituted 3-pyrrolines

A novel, efficient, and highly regioselective Lewis acid-catalyzed [3 + 2] cycloaddition of alkynes with azomethine ylides, which are easily obtained from N-tosylaziridines via C-C bond heterolysis at room temperature was developed. Moderate enantioselectivity (70% ee) can be achieved by the application of the commercially available chiral Pybox 7 as the ligand.

Nickel(II)-catalyzed diastereoselective [3+2] cycloaddition of N-tosyl-aziridines and aldehydes via selective carbon-carbon bond cleavage

An efficient and mild Ni(ClO(4))(2)-catalyzed [3+2] cycloaddition of N-tosylaziridines and aldehydes via C-C bond cleavage was developed. The cycloaddition reaction proceeds with high diastereoselectivity and regioselectivity leading to highly substituted 1,3-oxazolidines. Notably, this novel reaction can be easily expanded to gram level scale and the thermal conditions cannot achieve the same transformation.

Lewis acid-catalyzed formal [3+2] cycloadditions of N-tosyl aziridines with electron-rich alkenes via selective carbon-carbon bond cleavage

A novel, mild, robust catalyst Y(OTf)(3) for C-C bond heterolysis of N-tosyl aziridines was developed and the resulting metallo-azomethine ylides may readily undergo [3+2] dipolar cycloaddition with an electron-rich olefin via a stepwise reaction pathway with high regio- and diastereoselectivity leading to substituted pyrrolidines.