Bio-Inspired Deaminative Hydroxylation of Aminoheterocycles and Electron-Deficient Anilines

Mechanistic Approach Toward the C4-Selective Amination of Pyridines via Nucleophilic Substitution of Hydrogen

The development of site-selective functionalization of N-heteroarenes is highly desirable in streamlined synthesis. In this context, direct amination of pyridines stands as an important synthetic methodology, with particular emphasis on accessing 4-aminopyridines, a versatile pharmacophore in medicinal chemistry. Herein, we report a reaction manifold for the C4-selective amination of pyridines by employing nucleophilic substitution of hydrogen (SNH). Through 4-pyridyl pyridinium salt intermediates, 4-aminopyridine products are obtained in reaction with aqueous ammonia without intermediate isolation. The notable regioselectivity was achieved by the electronic tuning of the external pyridine reagents along with the maximization of polarizability in the proton elimination stage. Further mechanistic investigations provided a guiding principle for the selective C-H pyridination of additional N-heteroarenes, presenting a strategic avenue for installation of diverse functional groups.

Site-Specific Deaminative Trifluoromethylation of Aliphatic Primary Amines

The introduction of trifluoromethyl groups into organic molecules is of paramount importance in modern synthetic chemistry and medicinal chemistry. While methods for constructing C(sp2 )-CF3 bonds have been well established, the advancement of practical and comprehensive approaches for forming C(sp3 )-CF3 bonds remains considerably restricted. In this work, we describe an efficient and site-specific deaminative trifluoromethylation reaction of aliphatic primary amines to afford the corresponding alkyl trifluoromethyl compounds. The reaction proceeds at room temperature with readily accessible N-anomeric amide (Levin's reagent) and bench-stable bpyCu(CF3 )3 (Grushin's reagent, bpy=2,2'-bipyridine) under blue light. The protocol features mild reaction conditions, good functional group tolerance, and moderate to good yields. Remarkably, the method can be applied to the direct, late-stage trifluoromethylation of natural products and bioactive molecules. Experimental mechanistic studies were conducted, and a radical mechanism is proposed, wherein the dual roles of Grushin's reagent have been elucidated.

Hydroxylation of Aryl Sulfonium Salts for Phenol Synthesis under Mild Reaction Conditions

Hydroxylation of aryl sulfonium salts could be realized by utilizing acetohydroxamic acid and oxime as hydroxylative agents in the presence of cesium carbonate as a base, leading to a variety of structurally diverse hydroxylated arenes in 47-95% yields. In addition, the reaction exhibited broad functionality tolerance, and a range of important functional groups (e.g., cyano, nitro, sulfonyl, formyl, keto, and ester) could be well amenable to the mild reaction conditions.

Skeletal rearrangement through photocatalytic denitrogenation: access to C-3 aminoquinolin-2(1H)-ones

The addition of an amine group to a heteroaromatic system is a challenging synthetic process, yet it is an essential one in the development of many bioactive molecules. Here, we report an alternative method for the synthesis of 3-amino quinolin-2(1H)-one that overcomes the limitations of traditional methods by editing the molecular skeleton via a cascade C-N bond formation and denitrogenation process. We used TMSN3 as an aminating agent and a wide variety of 3-ylideneoxindoles as synthetic precursors for the quinolin-2(1H)-one backbone, which demonstrates remarkable tolerance of sensitive functional groups. The control experiments showed that the triazoline intermediate plays a significant role in the formation of the product. The spectroscopic investigation further defined the potential reaction pathways.

Direct Deaminative Functionalization

Selective functional group interconversions in complex molecular settings underpin many of the challenges facing modern organic synthesis. Currently, a privileged subset of functional groups dominates this landscape, while others, despite their abundance, are sorely underdeveloped. Amines epitomize this dichotomy; they are abundant but otherwise intransigent toward direct interconversion. Here, we report an approach that enables the direct conversion of amines to bromides, chlorides, iodides, phosphates, thioethers, and alcohols, the heart of which is a deaminative carbon-centered radical formation process using an anomeric amide reagent. Experimental and computational mechanistic studies demonstrate that successful deaminative functionalization relies not only on outcompeting the H-atom transfer to the incipient radical but also on the generation of polarity-matched, productive chain-carrying radicals that continue to react efficiently. The overall implications of this technology for interconverting amine libraries were evaluated via high-throughput parallel synthesis and applied in the development of one-pot diversification protocols.