Olefin Difunctionalization for the Synthesis of Tetrahydroisoquinoline, Morpholine, Piperazine, and Azepane.

This report outlines a versatile strategy for synthesizing a diverse array of N-heterocycles. By the utilization of common olefins, this simple protocol facilitates their coupling with various bifunctional reagents. Furthermore, it can be integrated with C-H amination techniques to directly produce N-heterocycles in a multicomponent cascade coupling process. The unique bond disconnection logic employed in this process underscores its efficiency in achieving rapid simplification through cascade couplings.

Tunable [3+2] and [4+2] annulations for pyrrolidine and piperidine synthesis.

N-heterocycles are privileged pharmaceutical scaffolds in drug discovery and development. We disclose here divergent intermolecular coupling strategies that can access diverse N-heterocycles directly from olefins. The radical-to-polar mechanistic switching is key for the divergent cyclization processes. These distinctive annulations result in the coupling of alkenes with simple bifunctional reagents for divergent N-heterocycle syntheses.

Lewis Acid-Catalyzed Halonium Generation for Morpholine Synthesis and Claisen Rearrangement.

We disclose here practical strategies toward the synthesis of morpholines and Claisen rearrangement products based on the divergent reactivity of a common halonium intermediate. These reactions employ widely available alkenes in a Lewis acid-catalyzed halo-etherification process that can then transform them into the desired products with exceptional regioselectivity for both activated and unactivated olefins. Our mechanistic probe reveals an interesting regiochemical kinetic resolution process.

Halogen-Bond-Induced Consecutive Csp3-H Aminations via Hydrogen Atom Transfer Relay Strategy.

The utilization of a halogen bond in a number of chemical fields is well-known. Surprisingly, the incorporation of this useful noncovalent interaction in chemical reaction engineering is rare. We disclose here an uncommon use of halogen bonding to induce intermolecular Csp3-H amination while enabling a hydrogen atom transfer relay strategy to access privileged pyrrolidine structures directly from alkanes. Mechanistic studies support the presence of multiple halogen bond interactions at distinct reaction stages.

Oxyamination of Unactivated Alkenes with Electron-Rich Amines and Acids via a Catalytic Triiodide Intermediate.

An aerobic catalytic oxidation process is described for the olefin oxyamination using acids and primary amines as the sources of O and N. Our mechanistic findings point to the formation of triiodide as a critical catalytic intermediate to account for the tolerance of electron-rich nucleophiles. This dual iodide and copper catalytic system is suitable for a formal [5+1] annulation process to access valuable lactam structures and highlighted by the synthesis of the pharmaceutical Zamifenacin.

Regioselective Formal [3+2] Cycloadditions of Urea Substrates with Activated and Unactivated Olefins for Intermolecular Olefin Aminooxygenation.

A new class of intermolecular olefin aminooxygenation reaction is described. This reaction utilizes the classic halonium intermediate as a regio- and stereochemical template to accomplish the selective oxyamination of both activated and unactivated alkenes. Notably, urea chemical feedstock can be directly introduced as the N and O source and a simple iodide salt can be utilized as the catalyst. This formal [3+2] cycloaddition process provides a highly modular entry to a range of useful heterocyclic products with excellent selectivity and functional-group tolerance.

Intermolecular alkene difunctionalizations for the synthesis of saturated heterocycles.

Saturated heterocycles are important structural motifs in a range of pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals. As a result of their importance, syntheses of these molecules have been extensively investigated. Despite the progress in this area, the most adopted strategies are still often characterized with inefficiency or relying on functionalizations with specialized precursors and pre-existing cores. This review highlights a dynamic synthetic strategy for the direct synthesis of saturated heterocycles from intermolecular alkene difunctionalizations. These coupling processes are highly modular, and therefore, offer perhaps the most convenient means to prepare diverse heterocyclic structures in compound libraries for bioactivity evoluations.