O2 -mediated dehydrogenative amination of phenols

Double C-H Amination of Naphthylamine Derivatives by the Cross-Dehydrogenation Coupling Reaction

A high-efficiency tandem process has been developed for the formation of two C-N bonds through a cross-dehydrogenative coupling (CDC) amination of spiro[acridine-9,9'-fluorene]s (SAFs) with amines. This method offers a strategically innovative and atom-economical approach to obtaining diamine-substituted SAFs. Notably, the approach eliminates the need for metal catalysts and other additives, relying solely on O2 as the oxidant. A self-activation mechanism has been proposed to elucidate the effective double amination in the CDC process.

Phenotellurazine redox catalysts: elements of design for radical cross-dehydrogenative coupling reactions

Redox active phenotellurazine catalysts have been recently utilized in two different cross-dehydrogenative coupling reactions. In this study, we revisit the design of the phenotellurazine redox catalysts. In particular, we investigate the level of cooperativity between the Te- and N-centers, the effect of secondary versus tertiary N-centers, the effect of heterocyclic versus non-heterocyclic structures, and the effect of substitution patterns on the redox catalytic activity.

Dehydrogenative synthesis of N-functionalized 2-aminophenols from cyclohexanones and amines: Molecular complexities via one-shot assembly

Polyfunctionalized arenes are privileged structural motifs in both academic and industrial chemistry. Conventional methods for accessing this class of chemicals usually involve stepwise modification of phenyl rings, often necessitating expensive noble metal catalysts and suffering from low reactivity and selectivity when introducing multiple functionalities. We herein report dehydrogenative synthesis of N-functionalized 2-aminophenols from cyclohexanones and amines. The developed reaction system enables incorporating amino and hydroxyl groups into aromatic rings in a one-shot fashion, which simplifies polyfunctionalized 2-aminophenol synthesis by circumventing issues associated with traditional arene modifications. The wide substrate scope and excellent functional group tolerance are exemplified by late-stage modification of complex natural products and pharmaceuticals that are unattainable by existing methods. This dehydrogenative protocol benefits from using 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine 1-oxyl (TEMPO) as oxidant that offers interesting chemo- and regio-selective oxidation processes. More notably, the essential role of in situ generated water is disclosed, which protects aliphatic amine moieties from overoxidation via hydrogen bond-enabled interaction.

Site-Selective C-H Amination of Phenol-Containing Biomolecules

A C-N bond-forming cross-dehydrogenative coupling of a collection of Tyr-containing peptides and estrogens with heteroarenes is described. This oxidative coupling is distinguished by its scalability, operational simplicity, and air tolerance and enables the appendance of phenothiazines and phenoxazines in phenol-like compounds. When incorporated into a Tb(III) metallopeptide, the Tyr-phenothiazine moiety acts as a sensitizer for the Tb(III) ion, providing a new tool for the design of luminescent probes.

High Electric Field on Water Microdroplets Catalyzes Spontaneous and Ultrafast Oxidative C-H/N-H Cross-Coupling

Oxidative C-H/N-H cross-coupling has emerged as an atom-economical method for the construction of C-N bonds. Conventional oxidative C-H/N-H coupling requires at least one of the following: high temperatures, strong oxidizers, transition metal catalysts, organic solvents, light, and electrochemical cells. In this study, by merely spraying the water solutions of the substrates into microdroplets at room temperature, we show a series of oxidative C-H/N-H coupling products that are strikingly produced in a spontaneous and ultrafast manner. The reactions are accelerated by six orders of magnitude compared to the same reactions in the bulk. It has been previously proposed by fluorescence microscopy and theory that the spontaneously generated electric field at the microdroplets peripheries can be in the ∼10⁹ V/m range. Based on mass spectrometric analysis of key radical intermediates, we opine that the ultrahigh electric field catalytically oxidizes the substrates by removing an electron, which further promotes C/N coupling. Taken together, we anticipate that microdroplet chemistry will be an avenue rich in green opportunities of constructing C-heteroatom bonds.

Cyclic Hypervalent Iodine-Induced Oxidative Phenol and Aniline Couplings with Phenothiazines

C-H/N-H bond functionalization for direct intermolecular aryl C-N couplings is a useful synthetic process. In this study, we achieved metal-free cross-dehydrogenative coupling of phenols and anilines with phenothiazines using hypervalent iodine reagents. This method affords selective amination products under mild conditions. Electron-rich phenols and anilines could be employed, affording moderate-to-high yields of N-arylphenothiazines. Aniline amination proceeded efficiently at 20 °C, a previously unreported phenomenon.

Iron-Catalyzed Oxidative C-O and C-N Coupling Reactions Using Air as Sole Oxidant

We describe the oxygenation of tertiary arylamines, and the amination of tertiary arylamines and phenols. The key step of these coupling reactions is an iron-catalyzed oxidative C-O or C-N bond formation which generally provides the corresponding products in high yields and with excellent regioselectivity. The transformations are accomplished using hexadecafluorophthalocyanine-iron(II) (FePcF16 ) as catalyst in the presence of an acid or a base additive and require only ambient air as sole oxidant.

O2-Mediated Dehydrogenative Phenoxazination of Phenols

Phenoxazines, in particular N-arylated phenoxazines, represent an increasingly important scaffold in the material sciences. Moreover, the oxygen-gas-mediated dehydrogenative phenochalcogenazination concept of phenols has been developed and exemplified for X = sulfur and recently for X = selenium and tellurium. The smallest chalcogen, X = oxygen, is herein exemplified with various functional groups under a likewise trivial oxygen atmosphere.

Te(II)-Catalyzed Cross-Dehydrogenative Phenothiazination of Anilines

Oxidative clicklike reactions are useful for the late-stage functionalization of pharmaceuticals and organic materials. Hence, novel methodologies that enable such transformations are in high demand. Herein we describe a tellurium(II)-catalyzed cross-dehydrogenative phenothiazination (CDP) of aromatic amines. A key feature of this method is a cooperative effect between the phenotellurazine catalyst and the silver salt, which serves as a chemical oxidant for the reaction. This novel catalysis concept therefore enables a considerably broader scope compared with previous chemical oxidation methods.

Cu(ii)-Catalyzed C2-site functionalization of p-aminophenols: an approach for selective cross-dehydrogenative aminations

Site selective cross dehydrogenative aminations from precursors without preactivated C–H and N–H bonds have been challenging.

C–N coupling reactions with arenes through C–H activation: the state-of-the-art versus the principles of green chemistry

Herein, we discuss the state-of-the-art in arene C–N coupling through C–H activation and to what extent it complies with the principles of green chemistry, with a focus on heterogeneously catalysed systems.

Cu-Catalyzed Synthesis of Benzoxazole with Phenol and Cyclic Oxime

A Cu-catalyzed straightforward synthesis of benzoxazoles from free phenols and cyclic oxime esters is reported. The mild reaction conditions tolerate various electron-withdrawing and electron-donating functional groups on both substrates, affording benzoxazoles in moderate to good yields. With this protocol, large-scale syntheses of Ezutromid and Flunoxaprofe in one or two steps are demonstrated. A catalytic mechanism, which includes Cu-catalyzed amination via inner-sphere electron transfer and consequent annulation, is proposed.

Cr-Catalyzed Direct ortho-Aminomethylation of Phenols

We developed a Cr-catalyzed strategy for the regioselective formation of C_sp²-C_sp³ bonds through the direct and efficient ortho-aminomethylation of N,N-dimethylanilines with phenols. The approach showed excellent site selectivity at the ortho-position of phenols and accommodated broad substrate scope and functional group compatibility for both N,N-dimethylanilines and phenols. Mechanistic studies revealed that the direct ortho-aminomethylation between N,N-dimethylanilines and phenols occurred via an ionic mechanism.

Dehydrogenative Azolation of Arenes in a Microflow Electrochemical Reactor

The electrochemical synthesis of aryl azoles was performed for the first time in a microflow reactor. The reaction relies on the anodic oxidation of the arene partners making these substrates susceptible for C–H functionalization with azoles, thus requiring no homogeneous transition-metal-based catalysts. The synthetic protocol benefits from the implementation of a microflow setup, leading to shorter residence times (10 min), compared to previously reported batch systems. Various azolated compounds (22 examples) are obtained in good to excellent yields.

Electrochemical phenothiazination of naphthylamines and its application in photocatalysis

N-Phenylphenothiazine as an inexpensive, highly reductive and oxygen tolerant organophotocatalyst has exhibited potential in various challenging photochemical transformations. Here we report a general and straightforward method to access structurally diverse N-phenylphenothiazine derivatives by means of a novel electrochemical tool. The introduction of a 2-naphthylamine moiety with an extended π-system and an amine group led to the variation of spectral characterization. Photochemical verification experiments demonstrated that the formed N-arylation products with good efficacy and chemo/site-control displayed competitive catalytic activity in challenging transformations.

Dehydrogenative C-H Phenochalcogenazination

Heavy-atom-modified chalcogen-fused triarylamine organic materials are becoming increasingly important in the photochemical sciences. In this context, the general and direct dehydrogenative C–H phenochalcogenazination of phenols with the heavier chalcogens selenium and tellurium is herein described. The latter dehydrogenative C–N bond-forming processes operate under simple reaction conditions with highly sustainable O₂ serving as the terminal oxidant.

Transition-Metal-Free Synthesis of N-Arylphenothiazines through an N- and S-Arylation Sequence

An efficient synthetic method of N-arylphenothiazines from o-sulfanylanilines under transition-metal-free conditions is disclosed. An N- and S-arylation sequence of o-sulfanylanilines enabled us to synthesize a wide variety of N-arylphenothiazines. In particular, one-pot synthesis of N-arylphenothiazines was accomplished from easily available modules through preparation of o-sulfanylanilines by thioamination of aryne intermediates and following N- and S-arylation sequence.

Tellurium(II)/Tellurium(III)-Catalyzed Cross-Dehydrogenative C-N Bond Formation

The TeII /TeIII -catalyzed dehydrogenative C-H phenothiazination of challenging phenols featuring electron-withdrawing substituents under mild aerobic conditions and with high yields is described. These unexpected TeII /TeIII radical catalytic properties were characterized by cyclic voltammetry, EPR spectroscopy, kinetic experiments, and DFT calculations.

Nucleophilic Aromatic Substitution of Polyfluoroarene to Access Highly Functionalized 10-Phenylphenothiazine Derivatives

Nucleophilic aromatic substitution (S_NAr) reactions can provide metal-free access to synthesize monosubstituted aromatic compounds. We developed efficient S_NAr conditions for p-selective substitution of polyfluoroarenes with phenothiazine in the presence of a mild base to afford the corresponding 10-phenylphenothiazine (PTH) derivatives. The resulting polyfluoroarene-bearing PTH derivatives were subjected to a second S_NAr reaction to generate highly functionalized PTH derivatives with potential applicability as photocatalysts for the reduction of carbon–halogen bonds.

Iron-catalyzed cross-dehydrogenative C–H amidation of benzofurans and benzothiophenes with anilines

An efficient iron-catalyzed radical cross-dehydrogenative aromatic C–H amidation provides a straightforward access to structurally diverse diarylamine derivatives incorporating benzofuran/benzothiophene motifs.

Benzophenothiazine and Its Cr(III)-Catalyzed Cross Dehydrogenative Couplings

In stark contrast to phenothiazines and their prevalence for cross-dehydrogenative amination reactions, benzophenothiazine has a pronounced preference for cross-dehydrogenative C-C bond-forming reactions. Moreover, the substrate is very versatile, leading to several new classes of C-C bond-forming reactions and many new oxidative coupling product architectures, including unprecedented indole fused paddlewheel-like structures.

Diverse Functionalization of Tetrahydro-β-carbolines or Tetrahydro-γ-carbolines via Oxidative Coupling Rearrangement

We report herein diverse functionalization of tetrahydro-β-carbolines (THβCs) or tetrahydro-γ-carbolines (THγCs) via oxidative coupling rearrangement. The treatment of THβCs or THγCs with t-BuOOH (TBHP) afforded 3-peroxyindolenines, followed by HCl catalyzed indolation to form unexpected 2-indolyl-3-peroxyindolenines. Further rearrangement of these peroxides allows for rapid access to a skeletally diverse chemical library in good to excellent yields.

Direct Amination of Aromatic C-H Bonds with Free Amines

Aromatic amines belong to a highly important class of organic compounds which are found in various natural products, functional materials, and pharmaceutical agents. Their prevalence has sparked continuing interest in the development of highly efficient and environmentally benign synthetic strategies for the construction of these compounds. Cross-dehydrogenative coupling reactions between two unmodified C(X)-H bonds have recently emerged as a versatile and powerful strategy for the fabrication of new C(X)-C(X) bonds. In this context, several procedures have been reported for the synthesis of aromatic amines through the direct amination of aromatic C-H bonds with free amines. This review highlights recent advances and progress in this appealing research arena, with special emphasis on the mechanistic features of the reactions.

An Air-Stable, Neutral Phenothiazinyl Radical with Substantial Radical Stabilization Energy

The vital effect of radical states on the pharmacological activity of phenothiazine-based drugs has long been speculated. Whereas cationic radicals of N-substituted phenothiazines show high stability, the respective neutral radicals of N-unsubstituted phenothiazines have never been isolated. Herein, the 1,9-diamino-3,7-di-tert-butyl-N1 ,N9 -bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-10H-phenothiazin-10-yl radical (SQH2 . ) is described as the first air-stable, neutral phenothiazinyl free radical. The crystalline dark-blue species is characterized by means of EPR and UV/Vis/near-IR spectroscopy, as well as cyclic voltammetry, spectro-electrochemical analysis, single-crystal XRD, and computational studies. The SQH2 . radical stands out from other aminyl radicals by an impressive radical stabilization energy and its parent amine has one of the weakest N-H bond dissociation energies ever determined. In addition to serving as open-shell reference in medicinal chemistry, its tridentate binding pocket or hydrogen-bond-donor ability might enable manifold uses as a redox-active ligand or proton-coupled electron-transfer reagent.

M[TPP]Cl (M = Fe or Mn)-Catalyzed Oxidative Amination of Phenols by Primary and Secondary Anilines

Iron- and manganese-catalyzed para-selective oxidative amination of (4-R)phenols by primary and secondary anilines was developed. Depending on the identity of the R group, the products of this efficient reaction are either benzoquinone anils (C–N coupling) that are produced via a sequential oxidative amination/dehydrogenation (R = H), oxidative amination/elimination (R = OMe) steps, or N,O-biaryl compounds (C–C coupling) that are formed when R = alkyl through an oxidative amination/[3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement (quinamine rearrangement) process.

Emerging unconventional organic solvents for C-H bond and related functionalization reactions

Solvent engineering is an increasingly essential topic in the chemical sciences. In this context, some recently appeared unconventional solvents have shown their large potential in the field of C-H bond functionalization reactions. This review aims not only at recognizing and classifying a short selection of these emerging solvents, in particular halogenated ones, but also at providing a medium term perspective of the possibilities they will offer for synthetic method development.

Oxidative alkylation of alkenes with carbonyl compounds through concomitant 1,2-aryl migration by photoredox catalysis

An efficient protocol for the construction of 1,5-diketones was realized in the presence of organic fluorophore 4CzIPN, diaryliodonium salt, and visible light irradiation.

Regioselective Oxidative Arylation of Fluorophenols

A metal free and highly regioselective oxidative arylation reaction of fluorophenols is described. The relative position of the fluoride leaving group (i.e., ortho or para) controls the 1,2 or 1,4 nature of the arylated quinone product, lending versatility and generality to this oxidative, defluorinative, arylation concept.

Para-Selective Dehydrogenative Phenothiazination of Hydroquinolines and Indolines

Nitrogen-containing heterocyclic systems, such as hydroquinolines, indolines, and phenothiazines, are prevalent in pharmaceuticals, natural products, and organic materials. It is therefore important to develop novel reaction strategies that give access to such biologically relevant scaffolds. This report demonstrates a novel robust, para-selective C-N bond formation between phenothiazines and quinolines or indolines under extremely mild and user-friendly conditions. Furthermore, we bring forward a surprising discovery arising from the homocoupling of indolines through an unprecedented C5-H functionalization.

HBF4- and AgBF4-Catalyzed ortho-Alkylation of Diarylamines and Phenols

A silver-tetrafluoroborate- or HBF4-catalyzed ortho-alkylation reaction of phenols and diarylamines with styrenes has been explored. A broad substrate scope is presented as well as mechanistic experiments and discussion.

Visible Light Induced Metal-Free Carbene N-Carbazolation

Metal-free N-H functionalization reactions represent an important strategy for sustainable C-N coupling reactions. In this report, we describe the visible light photolysis of aryl diazoacetates in the presence of some N-heterocycles that enables mild, metal-free N-H functionalization reactions of carbazole and azepine heterocycles (15 examples, up to 83% yield).

Electrooxidative and Regioselective C-H Azolation of Phenol and Aniline Derivatives

A general and practical protocol was developed for the regioselective C-H azolation of phenol and aniline derivatives by electrooxidative cross-coupling. The reaction occurs under metal-, oxidant-, and reagent-free conditions, allowing access to a wide variety of synthetically useful heteroarene derivatives. The reaction also tolerates a broad range of functional groups and is amenable to gram-scale synthesis. Finally, a preliminary mechanistic study indicated that a radical-radical-combination pathway might be involved in the coupling reaction.

Catalytic Aerobic Oxidation of C(sp3 )-H Bonds

Oxidation reactions are a key technology to transform hydrocarbons from petroleum feedstock into chemicals of a higher oxidation state, allowing further chemical transformations. These bulk-scale oxidation processes usually employ molecular oxygen as the terminal oxidant as at this scale it is typically the only economically viable oxidant. The produced commodity chemicals possess limited functionality and usually show a high degree of symmetry thereby avoiding selectivity issues. In sharp contrast, in the production of fine chemicals preference is still given to classical oxidants. Considering the strive for greener production processes, the use of O₂ , the most abundant and greenest oxidant, is a logical choice. Given the rich functionality and complexity of fine chemicals, achieving regio/chemoselectivity is a major challenge. This review presents an overview of the most important catalytic systems recently described for aerobic oxidation, and the current insight in their reaction mechanism.

Electrooxidative para-selective C-H/N-H cross-coupling with hydrogen evolution to synthesize triarylamine derivatives

Oxidative C–H/N–H cross-coupling is one of the most atom-economical methods for the construction of C–N bonds. However, traditional oxidative C–H/N–H cross-coupling either required the use of strong oxidants or high reaction temperature, which makes it difficult to tolerate redox active functional groups. Herein we describe an external chemical oxidant-free electrooxidative C–H/N–H cross-coupling between electron-rich arenes and diarylamine derivatives. Under undivided electrolytic conditions, a series of triarylamine derivatives are produced from electron-rich arenes and diarylamine derivatives with high functional group tolerance. Both of the coupling partners are redox active in oxidative C–H/N–H cross-coupling, which enables high regioselectivity in C–N bond formation. Exclusive para-selectivity is observed for the coupling with anilines.

Oxidative C–H/N–H cross-coupling is a convenient method to construct C–N bonds, however this is rarely achieved in a sustainable manner. Here, the authors show an oxidant-free electrochemical C–H/N–H cross-coupling between electron-rich arenes and diarylamines to afford triarylamines with exclusive para-selectivity.

Quinacetophenone: a simple precursor for synthesis of phenoxazines

Quinacetophenone is a versatile and easy accessible building block for synthesis of various biologically active heterocyclic compounds.

A metal- and oxidizing-reagent-free anodic para-selective amination of anilines with phenothiazines

A highly para-selective amination of anilines with phenothiazines for producing various functionalized 10-aryl-10H-phenothiazines is reported.