Direct CH Amination of Arenes with Alkyl Azides under Rhodium Catalysis

Electrophilic Aminating Agents in Total Synthesis

Classical amination methods involve the reaction of a nitrogen nucleophile with an electrophilic carbon center; however, in recent years, umpoled strategies have gained traction where the nitrogen source acts as an electrophile. A wide range of electrophilic aminating agents are now available, and these underpin a range of powerful C-N bond-forming processes. In this Review, we highlight the strategic use of electrophilic aminating agents in total synthesis.

Rhodium-Catalyzed C(sp2 )- or C(sp3 )-H Bond Functionalization Assisted by Removable Directing Groups

In recent years, transition-metal-catalyzed C-H activation has become a key strategy in the field of organic synthesis. Rhodium complexes are widely used as catalysts in a variety of C-H functionalization reactions because of their high reactivity and selectivity. The availability of a number of rhodium complexes in various oxidation states enables diverse reaction patterns to be obtained. Regioselectivity, an important issue in C-H activation chemistry, can be accomplished by using a directing group to assist the reaction. However, to obtain the target functionalized compounds, it is also necessary to use a directing group that can be easily removed. A wide range of directed C-H functionalization reactions catalyzed by rhodium complexes have been reported to date. In this Review, we discuss Rh-catalyzed C-H functionalization reactions that are aided by the use of a removable directing group such as phenol, amine, aldehyde, ketones, ester, acid, sulfonic acid, and N-heteroaromatic derivatives.

Recent advances in Fe-catalyzed C–H aminations using azides as nitrene precursors

The intramolecular Fe-catalyzed amination of C–H bonds using azides as nitrene precursors represents an elegant approach toward N-heterocycles. This review summarizes the most recent achievements while focussing on fundamental mechanistic aspects.

Cobalt-Porphyrin-Catalysed Intramolecular Ring-Closing C-H Amination of Aliphatic Azides: A Nitrene-Radical Approach to Saturated Heterocycles

Cobalt-porphyrin-catalysed intramolecular ring-closing C-H bond amination enables direct synthesis of various N-heterocycles from aliphatic azides. Pyrrolidines, oxazolidines, imidazolidines, isoindolines and tetrahydroisoquinoline can be obtained in good to excellent yields in a single reaction step with an air- and moisture-stable catalyst. Kinetic studies of the reaction in combination with DFT calculations reveal a metallo-radical-type mechanism involving rate-limiting azide activation to form the key cobalt(III)-nitrene radical intermediate. A subsequent low barrier intramolecular hydrogen-atom transfer from a benzylic C-H bond to the nitrene-radical intermediate followed by a radical rebound step leads to formation of the desired N-heterocyclic ring products. Kinetic isotope competition experiments are in agreement with a radical-type C-H bond-activation step (intramolecular KIE=7), which occurs after the rate-limiting azide activation step. The use of di-tert-butyldicarbonate (Boc2 O) significantly enhances the reaction rate by preventing competitive binding of the formed amine product. Under these conditions, the reaction shows clean first-order kinetics in both the [catalyst] and the [azide substrate], and is zero-order in [Boc2 O]. Modest enantioselectivities (29-46 % ee in the temperature range of 100-80 °C) could be achieved in the ring closure of (4-azidobutyl)benzene using a new chiral cobalt-porphyrin catalyst equipped with four (1S)-(-)-camphanic-ester groups.

Copper-catalyzed electrophilic amination of heteroarenes and arenes by C-H zincation

Direct amination of heteroarenes and arenes has been achieved in a one-pot CH zincation/copper-catalyzed electrophilic amination procedure. This amination method provides an efficient and rapid approach to access a diverse range of heteroaromatic and aromatic amines including those previously inaccessible using CH amination methods. The mild reaction conditions and good functional-group compatibility demonstrate its great potential for the synthesis of important and complex amines.