One-pot Reductive Amination of carbonyl Compounds with Nitro Compounds by Transfer Hydrogenation over Co-Nx as catalyst

A new method was developed for the synthesis of secondary amines through the one-pot reductive amination of carbonyl compounds with nitro compounds using formic acid as the hydrogen donor over a heterogeneous non-noble-metal catalyst (Co-N_x /C-800-AT, generated by the pyrolysis of the cobalt phthalocyanine/silica composite at 800°C under a N₂ atmosphere and subsequent etching by HF). Both nitrogen and cobalt were of considerable importance in the transfer hydrogenation reactions with formic acid.

Iron-Mediated Electrophilic Amination of Organozinc Halides using Organic Azides

A wide range of alkyl‐, aryl‐ and heteroarylzinc halides were aminated with highly functionalized alkyl, aryl, and heterocyclic azides. The reaction proceeds smoothly at 50 °C within 1 h in the presence of FeCl₃ (0.5 equiv) to furnish the corresponding secondary amines in good yields. This method was extended to peptidic azides and provided the arylated substrates with full retention of configuration. To demonstrate the utility of this reaction, we prepared two amine derivatives of pharmaceutical relevance using this iron‐mediated electrophilic amination as the key step.

Lanthanide-Catalyzed Tandem Insertion of Secondary Amines with 2-Alkynylbenzonitriles: Synthesis of Aminoisoindoles

A lanthanide-catalyzed intermolecular hydroamination of 2-alkynylbenzonitriles with secondary amines has been disclosed, providing a streamlined access to a range of aminoisoindoles in moderate to excellent yields. The salient features of this reaction include high bond-formation efficiency, mild reaction conditions, 100 % atomic efficiency and good functional group tolerance. This methodology has also been successfully applied to the construction of other nitrogen-containing compounds, such as 5 H-imidazo[2,1-a]isoindoles and isoquinolines. A plausible mechanism for the formation of aminoisoindoles involving initial N-H activation by a lanthanide complex followed by C≡N insertion into a Ln-N bond to form an amidinate lanthanide intermediate, which undergoes the cyclization is proposed.

Beyond the Simple Copper(II) Coordination Chemistry with Quinaldinate and Secondary Amines

Copper(II) acetate has reacted in methanol with quinaldinic acid (quinoline-2-carboxylic acid) to form [Cu(quin)₂(CH₃OH)]∙CH₃OH (1) (quin⁻ = an anionic form of the acid) with quinaldinates bound in a bidentate chelating manner. In the air, complex 1 gives off methanol and binds water. The conversion was monitored by IR spectroscopy. The aqua complex has shown a facile substitution chemistry with alicyclic secondary amines, pyrrolidine (pyro), and morpholine (morph). trans-[Cu(quin)₂(pyro)₂] (2) and trans-[Cu(quin)₂(morph)₂] (4) were obtained in good yields. The morpholine system has produced a by-product, trans-[Cu(en)₂(H₂O)₂](morphCOO)₂ (5) (morphCOO⁻ = morphylcarbamate), a result of the copper(II) quinaldinate reaction with ethylenediamine (en), an inherent impurity in morpholine, and the amine reaction with carbon dioxide. (pyroH)[Cu(quin)₂Cl] (3) forms on the recrystallization of [Cu(quin)₂(pyro)₂] from dichloromethane, confirming a reaction between amine and the solvent. Similarly, a homologous amine, piperidine (pipe), and dichloromethane produced (pipeH)[Cu(quin)₂Cl] (11). The piperidine system has afforded both mono- and bis-amine complexes, [Cu(quin)₂(pipe)] (6) and trans-[Cu(quin)₂(pipe)₂] (7). The latter also exists in solvated forms, [Cu(quin)₂(pipe)₂]∙CH₃CN (8) and [Cu(quin)₂(pipe)₂]∙CH₃CH₂CN (9). Interestingly, only the piperidine system has experienced a reduction of copper(II). The involvement of amine in the reduction was undoubtedly confirmed by identification of a polycyclic piperidine compound 10, 6,13-di(piperidin-1-yl)dodecahydro-2H,6H-7,14-methanodipyrido[1,2-a:1′,2′-e][1,5]diazocine.

Catalytic Reductive Amination of Aldehydes and Ketones With Nitro Compounds: New Light on an Old Reaction

Reductive amination of carbonyl compounds with primary amines is a well-established synthetic methodology for the selective production of unsymmetrically substituted secondary and tertiary amines. From the industrial and green chemistry perspective, it is attractive to combine reductive amination with the synthesis of primary amines in a single one-pot catalytic process. In this regard, nitro compounds, which are readily available and inexpensive feedstocks, received much attention as convenient precursors to primary amines in such processes. Although the direct reductive coupling of nitro compounds with aldehydes/ketones to give secondary and tertiary amines has been known since the 1940's, due to the development of highly efficient and selective non-noble metal-based catalysts a breakthrough in this area was made in the last decade. In this short overview, recent progress in the methodology of the reductive amination with nitro compounds is summarized together with applications to the synthesis of bioactive amines and heterocycles. Remaining challenges in this field are also analyzed.

NH Stretching Frequencies of Intramolecularly Hydrogen-Bonded Systems: An Experimental and Theoretical Study

The vibrational NH stretching transitions in secondary amines with intramolecular NH···O hydrogen bonds were investigated by experimental and theoretical methods, considering a large number of compounds and covering a wide range of stretching wavenumbers. The assignment of the NH stretching transitions in the experimental IR spectra was, in several instances, supported by measurement of the corresponding ND wavenumbers and by correlation with the observed NH proton chemical shifts. The observed wavenumbers were correlated with theoretical wavenumbers predicted with B3LYP density functional theory, using the basis sets 6-311++G(d,p) and 6-31G(d) and considering the harmonic as well as the anharmonic VPT2 approximation. Excellent correlations were established between observed wavenumbers and calculated harmonic values. However, the correlations were non-linear, in contrast to the results of previous investigations of the corresponding OH···O systems. The anharmonic VPT2 wavenumbers were found to be linearly related to the corresponding harmonic values. The results provide correlation equations for the prediction of NH stretching bands on the basis of standard B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) and B3LYP/6-31G(d) harmonic analyses, with standard deviations close to 38 cm⁻¹. This is significant because the full anharmonic VPT2 analysis tends to be impractical for large molecules, requiring orders of magnitude more computing time than the harmonic analysis.

Direct Aminolysis of Ethoxycarbonylmethyl 1,4-Dihydropyridine-3-carboxylates

The ethoxycarbonylmethyl esters of 1,4-dihydropyridines were directly converted into carbamoylmethyl esters in the presence of 1,5,7-triazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec-5-ene (TBD) in good to excellent yields under mild conditions. The use of TBD is crucial for the successful aminolysis of ethoxycarbonylmethyl ester of 1,4-dihydropyridines with secondary amines as without it the reaction does not proceed at all. The aminolysis reaction proceeded regioselectively, as the alkyl ester conjugated with the 1,4-dihydropyridine cycle was not involved in the reaction. Screening of other N-containing bases, such as triethylamine (TEA), pyridine, 4-(N,N-dimethylamino)pyridine (DMAP), 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU), 1,5-diazabicyclo[4.3.0]non-5-ene (DBN), imidazole, tetramethyl guanidine (TMG) and 7-methyl-1,5,7-triazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec-5-ene (MTBD) as catalysts revealed no activity in the studied reaction.

A One-Pot Selective Synthesis of N-Boc Protected Secondary Amines: Tandem Direct Reductive Amination/N-Boc Protection

A one-pot tandem direct reductive amination of aldehydes with primary amines resulting in N-Boc secondary amines using a (Boc)(2)O/sodium triacetoxyborohydride (STAB) system is reported. The tandem procedure is efficient, selective, and versatile, giving excellent yields of N-Boc protected secondary amines even in those cases where the products are prone to intramolecular lactamization.

Carbon-Carbon Bond Formation via Catalytically Generated Aminocarbene Complexes: Rhodium-Catalyzed Hydroaminative Cyclization of Enynes with Secondary Amines

We report a hydroaminative cyclization of enynes using phosphine-quinolinolato rhodium catalysts. The hydroaminative cyclization of 2-vinylphenylacetylene derivatives with secondary amines gives 2-aminoindenes in good yields. The reaction is considered to proceed through carbon-carbon bond formation on a catalytically generated aminocarbene ligand.

Assessment of chronic inhalation non-cancer toxicity for diethylamine

A non-cancer inhalation chronic toxicity assessment for diethylamine (DEA, CAS number 109-89-7) was conducted by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality. A chronic Reference Value (ReV) was determined based on a high-quality study conducted in mice and rats by the National Toxicology Program. Chronic inhalation ReVs are health-based exposure concentrations used in assessing health risks of long-term (i.e. lifetime) chemical exposure. DEA is used industrially as an organic intermediate to produce corrosion inhibitors, and is widely used in rubber, pharmaceuticals, resins, pesticides, insect repellants, dye processing and as a polymerization inhibitor. Although systemic effects have been noted at higher concentrations, DEA acts primarily as a respiratory irritant with effects occurring in the upper respiratory tract. Rats were exposed to 0, 31, 62.5 and 125 ppm DEA and mice to 0, 16, 31 and 62.5 ppm DEA for 6 h/day, 5 days/week for 105 weeks. Mice were slightly more sensitive than rats. The critical effect identified in mice was hyperostosis in the turbinates although DEA caused a number of other non-neoplatic lesions. Dose–response data were suitable to benchmark concentration (BMC) modeling. The human equivalent point of departure (POD_HEC) was calculated from the 95% lower limit of the BMC(10) using default duration and animal-to-human dosimetric adjustments. Total uncertainty factors of 90 were applied to the POD_HEC to account for variation in sensitivity within the human population, toxicodynamic differences between mice and humans, and database uncertainty. The chronic ReV for DEA is 11 ppb (33 µg/m³).

A series of N-(2-phenylethyl)nitroaniline derivatives as precursors for slow and sustained nitric oxide release agents

2,4-Dinitro-N-(2-phenylethyl)aniline, C14H13N3O4, (I), crystallizes with one independent molecule in the asymmetric unit. The adjacent amine and nitro groups form an intramolecular N-H...O hydrogen bond. The anti conformation about the ethyl C-C bond leads to the phenyl and aniline rings being essentially parallel. Molecules are linked into dimers by intermolecular N-H...O hydrogen bonds, such that each amine H atom participates in a three-centre interaction with two nitro O atoms. Though the dimers pack so that the arene rings of adjacent molecules are parallel, the rings are staggered and π-π interactions do not appear to be favoured. 4,6-Dinitro-N,N'-bis(2-phenylethyl)benzene-1,3-diamine, C22H22N4O4, (II), differs from (I) in the presence of a second 2-phenylethylamine group on the substituted ring. Compound (II) also crystallizes with one unique molecule in the asymmetric unit. Both amine groups are involved in intramolecular N-H...O hydrogen bonds with adjacent nitro groups. Although one ethyl group adopts an anti conformation as in (I), the other is gauche, with the result that the pendant phenyl rings are not parallel. The amine group that is part of the gauche conformation participates in a three-centre N-H...O hydrogen bond with the nitro group of a neighbouring molecule, leading to dimers as in (I). The other amine H atom does not form any intermolecular hydrogen bonds. The packing leads to separations of ca 3.4 Å of the parallel anti phenyl and aminobenzene rings. 2-Cyano-4-nitro-N-(2-phenylethyl)aniline, C15H13N3O2, (III), differs from (I) only in having a cyano group in place of the 2-nitro group. The absence of the adjacent nitro group eliminates the intramolecular N-H...O hydrogen bond. Molecules of (III) adopt the same anti conformation about the ethyl group as in (I), but crystallize in the higher-symmetry monoclinic space group P21/n. The molecules are linked into dimers via N-H...N amine-cyano hydrogen bonds, while the nitro groups are not involved in any N-H...O interactions. Owing to the different symmetry, the molecules pack in a herringbone pattern with fewer face-to-face interactions between the rings. The closest such interactions are about 3.5 Å between rings that are largely slipped past one another. 4-Methylsulfonyl-2-nitro-N-(2-phenylethyl)aniline, C15H16N2O4S, (IV), differs from (I) in having a methylsulfonyl group in place of the 4-nitro group. The intramolecular N-H...O hydrogen bond is present as in (I). However, unlike (I), the conformation about the ethyl group is gauche, so the two arene rings are nearly perpendicular rather than parallel. The packing is significantly different from the other three structures in that there are no intermolecular hydrogen bonds involving the N-H groups. The molecules are arranged in tetragonal columns running along the c axis, with the aniline rings mostly parallel and separated by ca 3.7 Å. Taken together, these structures demonstrate that modest changes in functional groups cause significant differences in molecular conformation, intermolecular interactions and packing.

Synthesis of Schiff Bases and Secondary Amines with Indane Skeleton; Evaluation of Their Antioxidant, Antibiotic, and Antifungal Activities

In this study, Schiff bases were synthesized by utilizing the reaction of 4- and 5-aminoindane with substituted benzaldehydes. After the reduction of isolated Schiff bases with NaBH4 , the corresponding secondary amine derivatives were obtained. The structures of all synthesized molecules were confirmed by 1 H-NMR, 13 C-NMR, FT-IR, and ESI-MS. Antioxidant activities of all synthesized molecules were investigated by DPPH method, and IC50 values were calculated. In addition, antibacterial activities of targets were investigated by the well diffusion method, and then MIC99 values were calculated. While only four of the sixteen synthesized molecules showed a high level of antioxidant activity, all of the molecules exhibited biological activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria to varying degrees. In addition, all the synthesized molecules showed high antifungal activity. In antioxidant capacity studies, the IC50 values of 2-(((2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-5-yl)amino)methyl)-6-methoxyphenol (4 d) and 2-(((2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-4-yl)amino)methyl)-6-methoxyphenol (7 d) were determined to be 18.1 μg and 35.1 μg, respectively, and these values are much stronger than BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) and BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) used as positive controls. The fact that targets have the same core structure with different substituents has revealed a good structure-activity relationship.

Synthesis of aminomethyl linked (+)-usnic acid derivatives via the Mannich reaction and evaluation of their biological activities

(+)-Usnic acid (UA), a natural dibenzofuran derivative, abundantly produced by lichens and possess wide number of biomedical applications including antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and anticancer activities. In the present study, as series of usnic acid derivatives (3a-3i) were synthesised using Mannich reaction assessed for their antioxidant, α-glucosidase, and anticancer activities. The in vitro antioxidant activity showed that compound 3d displayed potent antioxidant activity by scavenging the activities of DPPH and ABTS+. The compounds 3d and 3e showed potent cytotoxic activity against HepG2 cancer cells by arresting the cell cycle at S phase and regulating the Bax/BcL2 expression and subsequently induce the apoptosis. Overall, the results clearly indicated that (+)-usnic acid derivatives bearing secondary amines are useful scaffolds for the development of drug candidates for treatment of oxidative stress mediated cancer and metabolic disorders.

Coplanar Atropochiral 5H-Cyclopenta[2,1-b:3,4-b']dipyridine Ligands: Synthesis and Applications in Asymmetric Ring-Opening Reaction

Bipyridines represent a class of ligands renowned for their versatility and efficacy in numerous transition metal-catalyzed reactions. Chiral bipyridine ligands are noted for their distinctive reactivity and stereoselectivity. In this work, we have designed and synthesized a class of bipyridine ligands endowed with an axially chiral scaffold. These ligands feature: (a) a precisely aligned coplanar bipyridine framework that is beneficial for metal chelation; (b) a spacious environment around the metal-bipyridine complexes, capable of hosting substrates with substantial steric bulk; (c) a chiral pocket induced by the axially chiral architecture. These atropochiral planar bipyridine ligands were successfully applied in copper-catalyzed ring-opening reactions of cyclic diaryliodoniums with bulky secondary amines, achieving high efficiency and stereoselectivity that were unsuccessful in our previous efforts.