Metal-Free Insertion of Sulfoxonium Ylides into Arylamines in Water

Article abstract of DOI:10.1055/s-0040-1707186

Carbenoid-based N-H insertions have undergone significant development with respect to C-N bond formation in recent years. However, the existing methods suffer from unstable starting materials, expensive metal catalysts and organic solvents. Herein, insertion of sulfoxonium ylides into arylamines under metal-free conditions has been developed. The method employs water as solvent at mild temperature and is amenable to the late-stage modification of structurally complex bioactive compounds.