Two-Component Coupling of Carbodiimides and Hydrazides Provides Convergent Access to Biologically Active Compounds.

A novel, convergent synthesis of aminotriazoloquinazolines is reported. These heterocycles are reliably prepared via a "click-like" reaction between readily available aryl carbodiimides and acyl or aryl hydrazides. Such products are of particular interest with respect to their inhibitory activity against the A2A and A2B adenosine receptors, and the title two-component coupling reaction has greatly accelerated the discovery of potent/selective chemical matter in this space.

A Modular and Diastereoselective 5 + 1 Cyclization Approach to N-(Hetero)Aryl Piperidines.

A new general de novo synthesis of pharmaceutically important N-(hetero)aryl piperidines is reported. This protocol uses a robustly diastereoselective reductive amination/aza-Michael reaction sequence to achieve rapid construction of complex polysubstituted ring systems starting from widely available heterocyclic amine nucleophiles and carbonyl electrophiles. Notably, the diastereoselectivity of this process is enhanced by the presence of water, and DFT calculations support a stereochemical model involving a facially selective protonation of a water-coordinated enol intermediate.

Direct Manipulation of Metal Imido Geometry: Key Principles to Enhance C-H Amination Efficacy.

We report the catalytic C-H amination mediated by an isolable CoIII imido complex (TrL)Co(NR) supported by a sterically demanding dipyrromethene ligand (TrL = 5-mesityl-1,9-(trityl)dipyrrin). Metalation of (TrL)Li with CoCl2 in THF afforded a high-spin (S = 3/2) three-coordinate complex (TrL)CoCl. Chemical reduction of (TrL)CoCl with potassium graphite yielded the high-spin (S = 1) CoI synthon (TrL)Co which is stabilized through an intramolecular η6-arene interaction. Treatment of (TrL)Co with a stoichiometric amount of 1-azidoadamantane (AdN3) furnished a three-coordinate, diamagnetic CoIII imide (TrL)Co(NAd) as confirmed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, revealing a rare trigonal pyramidal geometry with an acute Co-Nimido-C angle 145.0(3)°. Exposure of 1-10 mol % of (TrL)Co to linear alkyl azides (RN3) resulted in catalytic formation of substituted N-heterocycles via intramolecular C-H amination of a range of C-H bonds, including primary C-H bonds. The mechanism of the C-N bond formation was probed via initial rate kinetic analysis and kinetic isotope effect experiments [kH/kD = 38.4(1)], suggesting a stepwise H-atom abstraction followed by radical recombination. In contrast to the previously reported C-H amination mediated by (ArL)Co(NR) (ArL = 5-mesityl-1,9-(2,4,6-Ph3C6H2)dipyrrin), (TrL)Co(NR) displays enhanced yields and rates of C-H amination without the aid of a cocatalyst, and no catalyst degradation to a tetrazene species was observed, as further supported by the pyridine inhibition effect on the rate of C-H amination. Furthermore, (TrL)Co(NAd) exhibits an extremely low one-electron reduction potential (E°red = -1.98 V vs [Cp2Fe]+/0) indicating that the highly basic terminal imido unit contributes to the driving force for H-atom abstraction.

Diastereoselective C-H Bond Amination for Disubstituted Pyrrolidines.

We report herein the improved diastereoselective synthesis of 2,5-disubstituted pyrrolidines from aliphatic azides. Experimental and theoretical studies of the C-H amination reaction mediated by the iron dipyrrinato complex (Ad L)FeCl(OEt2 ) provided a model for diastereoinduction and allowed for systematic variation of the catalyst to enhance selectivity. Among the iron alkoxide and aryloxide catalysts evaluated, the iron phenoxide complex exhibited superior performance towards the generation of syn 2,5-disubstituted pyrrolidines with high diastereoselectivity.

Complex N-heterocycle synthesis via iron-catalyzed, direct C-H bond amination.

The manipulation of traditionally unreactive functional groups is of paramount importance in modern chemical synthesis. We have developed an iron-dipyrrinato catalyst that leverages the reactivity of iron-borne metal-ligand multiple bonds to promote the direct amination of aliphatic C-H bonds. Exposure of organic azides to the iron dipyrrinato catalyst furnishes saturated, cyclic amine products (N-heterocycles) bearing complex core-substitution patterns. This study highlights the development of C-H bond functionalization chemistry for the formation of saturated, cyclic amine products and should find broad application in the context of both pharmaceuticals and natural product synthesis.

Catalytic C-H bond amination from high-spin iron imido complexes.

Dipyrromethene ligand scaffolds were synthesized bearing large aryl (2,4,6-Ph(3)C(6)H(2), abbreviated Ar) or alkyl ((t)Bu, adamantyl) flanking groups to afford three new disubstituted ligands ((R)L, 1,9-R(2)-5-mesityldipyrromethene, R=aryl, alkyl). While high-spin (S=2), four-coordinate iron complexes of the type ((R)L)FeCl(solv) were obtained with the alkyl-substituted ligand varieties (for R=(t)Bu, Ad and solv=THF, OEt(2)), use of the sterically encumbered aryl-substituted ligand precluded binding of solvent and cleanly afforded a high-spin (S=2), three-coordinate complex of the type ((Ar)L)FeCl. Reaction of ((Ad)L)FeCl(OEt(2)) with alkyl azides resulted in the catalytic amination of C-H bonds or olefin aziridination at room temperature. Using a 5% catalyst loading, 12 turnovers were obtained for the amination of toluene as a substrate, while greater than 85% of alkyl azide was converted to the corresponding aziridine employing styrene as a substrate. A primary kinetic isotope effect of 12.8(5) was obtained for the reaction of ((Ad)L)FeCl(OEt(2)) with adamantyl azide in an equimolar toluene/toluene-d(8) mixture, consistent with the amination proceeding through a hydrogen atom abstraction, radical rebound type mechanism. Reaction of p-(t)BuC(6)H(4)N(3) with ((Ar)L)FeCl permitted isolation of a high-spin (S=2) iron complex featuring a terminal imido ligand, ((Ar)L)FeCl(N(p-(t)BuC(6)H(4))), as determined by (1)H NMR, X-ray crystallography, and (57)Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy. The measured Fe-N(imide) bond distance (1.768(2) Å) is the longest reported for Fe(imido) complexes in any geometry or spin state, and the disruption of the bond metrics within the imido aryl substituent suggests delocalization of a radical throughout the aryl ring. Zero-field (57)Fe Mössbauer parameters obtained for ((Ar)L)FeCl(N(p-(t)BuC(6)H(4))) suggest a Fe(III) formulation and are nearly identical with those observed for a structurally similar, high-spin Fe(III) complex bearing the same dipyrromethene framework. Theoretical analyses of ((Ar)L)FeCl(N(p-(t)BuC(6)H(4))) suggest a formulation for this reactive species to be a high-spin Fe(III) center antiferromagnetically coupled to an imido-based radical (J = -673 cm(-1)). The terminal imido complex was effective for delivering the nitrene moiety to both C-H bond substrates (42% yield) as well as styrene (76% yield). Furthermore, a primary kinetic isotope effect of 24(3) was obtained for the reaction of ((Ar)L)FeCl(N(p-(t)BuC(6)H(4))) with an equimolar toluene/toluene-d(8) mixture, consistent with the values obtained in the catalytic reaction. This commonality suggests the isolated high-spin Fe(III) imido radical is a viable intermediate in the catalytic reaction pathway. Given the breadth of iron imido complexes spanning several oxidation states (Fe(II)-Fe(V)) and several spin states (S=0→(3)/(2)), we propose the unusual electronic structure of the described high-spin iron imido complexes contributes to the observed catalytic reactivity.