Direct C-H aminocarbonylation of N-heteroarenes with isocyanides under transition metal-free conditions

Direct C-H amidation of 1,3-azoles: light-mediated, photosensitiser-free vs. thermal

We have developed one thermal and one light-mediated method for direct Minisci-type C-H amidation of 1,3-azoles, which are applicable to thiazoles, benzothiazoles, benzimidazoles, and for the first time, imidazoles. The new visible light-mediated approach can be rendered photosensitiser/photocatalyst-free and likely proceeds via an electron donor-acceptor (EDA) complex, the first direct Minisci-type amidation to do so.

Direct Minisci-Type C–H Amidation of Purine Bases

A method for the C–H carboxyamidation of purines has been developed that is capable of directly installing primary, secondary, and tertiary amides. Previous Minisci-type investigations on purines were limited to alkylations and arylations. Herein, we present the first method for the direct C–H amidation of a wide range of purines: xanthine, guanine, and adenine structures, including guanosine- and adenosine-type nucleosides. The Minisci-type reaction is also metal-free, cheap, operationally simple, scalable, and applicable to late-stage functionalizations of biologically important molecules.

Palladium-Catalyzed Preparation of N-Substituted Benz[c,d]indol-2-imines and N-Substituted Amino-1-naphthylamides

Here, we report a novel and facile protocol for the synthesis of benz[c,d]indol-2-imines via palladium-catalyzed C-C and C-N coupling of 8-halo-1-naphthylamines with isocyanides in a single step. The reaction features broad substrate scopes and mild conditions, providing an efficient alternative for the construction of antiproliferative agents and BET bromodomain inhibitors. If 0.1 mL of H₂O was added to this reaction, the N-substituted amino-1-naphthylamides could be obtained easily.

Direct C-H Functionalization of Phenanthrolines: Metal- and Light-Free Dicarbamoylations

A direct method for C-H dicarbamoylations of phenanthrolines has been developed, which is capable of directly installing primary, secondary as well as tertiary amides. This is a significant improvement on the previous direct method, which was limited to primary amides. The metal-, light-, and catalyst-free Minisci-type reaction is cheap, operationally simple, and scalable. We demonstrate that the step efficiency toward dicarbamoylated phenanthroline targets can now be significantly improved.