56740-75-1Relevant academic research and scientific papers
Site-Selective α-C-H Functionalization of Trialkylamines via Reversible Hydrogen Atom Transfer Catalysis
Shen, Yangyang,Funez-Ardoiz, Ignacio,Schoenebeck, Franziska,Rovis, Tomislav
supporting information, p. 18952 - 18959 (2021/11/22)
Trialkylamines are widely found in naturally occurring alkaloids, synthetic agrochemicals, biological probes, and especially pharmaceuticals agents and preclinical candidates. Despite the recent breakthrough of catalytic alkylation of dialkylamines, the selective α-C(sp3)-H bond functionalization of widely available trialkylamine scaffolds holds promise to streamline complex trialkylamine synthesis, accelerate drug discovery, and execute late-stage pharmaceutical modification with complementary reactivity. However, the canonical methods always result in functionalization at the less-crowded site. Herein, we describe a solution to switch the reaction site through fundamentally overcoming the steric control that dominates such processes. By rapidly establishing an equilibrium between α-amino C(sp3)-H bonds and a highly electrophilic thiol radical via reversible hydrogen atom transfer, we leverage a slower radical-trapping step with electron-deficient olefins to selectively forge a C(sp3)-C(sp3) bond with the more-crowded α-amino radical, with the overall selectivity guided by the Curtin-Hammett principle. This subtle reaction profile has unlocked a new strategic concept in direct C-H functionalization arena for forging C-C bonds from a diverse set of trialkylamines with high levels of site selectivity and preparative utility. Simple correlation of site selectivity and 13C NMR shift serves as a qualitative predictive guide. The broad consequences of this dynamic system, together with the ability to forge N-substituted quaternary carbon centers and implement late-stage functionalization techniques, hold potential to streamline complex trialkylamine synthesis and accelerate small-molecule drug discovery.
