10.1002/anie.201713225
Angewandte Chemie International Edition
COMMUNICATION
Interestingly, quantitative 19F NMR analyses of spent reaction
mixtures reveal a substantial deficit in the mass balance of F-esp-
derived material. We have discovered that a considerable amount
of free ligand (~25%) is associated with the Al2O3 solids;
nevertheless, the mass balance remains incomplete. Current efforts
are aimed at identifying the fate of this missing material and
associated catalyst decomposition products.
Table 3. Effect of solvent deuteration on C–H amination performance.
Entry
Solvent
TONa,b
1 mol% [Rh2(esp)2]
PhOSO2NH2
1
2
3
4
CH3CN
CD3CN
CH2Cl2
CD2Cl2
37
55
22
33
1a
2a
PhI(OPiv)2, Al2O3
solvent
[a] Reactions were conducted with 1.0 equiv substrate in solvent with 1 mol %
[Rh2(esp)2], 1.3 equiv PhOSO2NH2, 1.5 equiv PhI(OPiv)2, 4 equiv neutral Al2O3. [b]
Turnover numbers (TON) were determined by 1H NMR integration against methyl
benzoate as a standard.
We have developed a general method for intermolecular C–H
amination capable of generating sulfamate derivatives of complex
molecules, including APIs and natural products. The streamlined
process utilizes limiting quantities of substrate, 1 mol % of
commercially available [Rh2(esp)2], PhI(OPiv)2, and Al2O3. The
identification of t-BuCN as solvent affords substantial
improvements in catalyst turnover and unprecedented reaction
scope. Hallmarks of this method also include product selectivity
and outstanding mass balance. Mechanistic investigations have
shown that a larger fraction of the dirhodium catalyst remains
intact for reactions performed in t-BuCN. Additional studies
comparing amination performance in protio- and deuterio- solvents
intimate a correlation between solvent oxidation and catalyst
decomposition. Future studies are aimed at understanding stepwise
details of the mechanism(s) for catalyst decomposition with the
goal of informing subsequent efforts in catalyst design and reaction
development.
To examine whether solvent has an influence on [Rh2(esp)2]
stability, we have developed an assay to quantify the amount of
intact catalyst at a given time point over the course of the reaction.
Due to the low catalyst loading employed in this process and the
paramagnetic nature of the Rh(II)/Rh(III) dimer, we have modified
the H2(esp) ligand to include a 19F-label (Figure 4). The sensitivity
of 19F NMR allows us to perform the amination reaction under our
standard protocol and to record a strong F-signal of the [Rh2(F-
esp)2] adduct. Attempts to follow the reaction progress in real-time
by 19F NMR, however are complicated by paramagnetic line-
broadening. We have thus resorted to quenching the reaction by
addition of Zn powder at a fixed time point. The red color of the
Rh(II)/Rh(III) dimer is extinguished upon addition of the reducing
agent, and the blue-green color of [Rh2(F-esp)2] is restored. 19F
NMR allows us to quantify against an internal standard (1,3-
dbromo-2,5-difluorobenzene) the percentage of Rh(II)/Rh(II)
dimer remaining in solution.
Acknowledgements
F
We are grateful to Professor Hemamala Karunadasa, Dr. Carmen
Leal-Cervantes, and Kurt Lindquist for generous use of equipment
and for assistance with UV/vis experiments. We also wish to thank
Dr. Stephen Lynch for his assistance with two-dimensional NMR
spectroscopy, Dr. Mark Smith (MCKC, ChEM-H Stanford
University) for use of LC-MS instrumentation, and the Vincent
Coates Foundation Mass Spectrometry Laboratory, Stanford
University Mass Spectrometry for HRMS data collection. The
National Science Foundation through the CCI Center for Selective
C−H Functionalization (CHE-1700982) and Novartis have
graciously provided financial support of this work.
1 mol%
Me
[Rh2(F-esp)2]
Me
Me
NHPhs
PhOSO2NH2
O
O
Me
Me
Me
OBz
Me
OBz
O
L
O
L
Rh
Me
PhI(OPiv)2, Al2O3;
Rh
1r
2r
then Zn, EtOAc
[Rh2(F-esp)2]
Keywords: oxidation • sulfamate • [Rh2(esp)2] • t-BuCN
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Figure 4.
Assay of intact [Rh2(F-esp)2] as a function of reaction time
performed using quantitative 19F NMR (details are in supporting information).
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For reactions performed in t-BuCN, our analysis indicates that
~20% of [Rh2(F-esp)2] is present one hour after initiating the
reaction (Figure 4). By contrast, reactions conducted in CH3CN or
CH2Cl2 show ~5% of the intact complex along with two
uncharacterized species, neither of which correspond to free H2(F-
esp) ligand (see Supporting Information for details). Differential
levels of catalyst decomposition are also noted at both the 15 min
and 3 h marks. These data give evidence that the choice of solvent,
namely t-BuCN vis-à-vis CH3CN or CH2Cl2, influences
[Rh2(esp)2] lifetime and, possibly, the pathway(s) for degradation.
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