Chemoselective Synthesis of Amines from Ammonium Hydroxide and Hydroxylamine in Continuous Flow.

The chemoselective amination of alkyl bromides and chlorides with aqueous ammonia and hydroxylamine was achieved in continuous flow to produce primary ammonium salts and hydroxylamines in high yields. An in-line workup was designed to isolate the corresponding primary amine, which was also telescoped in further reactions, such as acylation and Paal-Knorr pyrrole synthesis. Monosubstituted epoxides are also compatible with the reaction conditions.

Synthesis of oxazolidinones: rhodium-catalyzed C-H amination of N-mesyloxycarbamates.

N-Mesyloxycarbamates undergo intramolecular C-H amination reactions to afford oxazolidinones in good to excellent yields in the presence of rhodium(ii) carboxylate catalysts. The reaction is performed under green conditions and potassium carbonate is used, forming biodegradable potassium mesylate as a reaction by-product. This method enables the production of electron-rich, electron-deficient, aromatic and heteroaromatic oxazolidinones in good to excellent yields. Conformationally restricted cyclic secondary N-mesyloxycarbamates furnish cis-oxazolidinones in high yields and selectivity; DFT calculations are provided to account for the observed selectivity. trans-Oxazolidinones were prepared from acyclic secondary N-mesyloxycarbamates using Rh2(oct)4. The selectivity was reverted with a cytoxazone N-mesyloxycarbamate precursor using large chiral rhodium(ii) carboxylate complexes, affording the corresponding cis-oxazolidinone. This orthogonal selectivity was used to achieve the formal synthesis of (-)-cytoxazone.

Batch and Continuous-Flow One-Pot Processes using Amine Diazotization to Produce Silylated Diazo Reagents.

A novel synthesis of trimethylsilyldiazomethane (TMSCHN2 ) by diazotization of trimethylsilylmethylamine (TMSCH2 NH2 ) is reported using batch and continuous flow synthesis. The latter affords a daily production of 275 g (2.4 mol) of TMSCHN2 . Other silylated methylamines were also successfully reacted under the developed reaction conditions to furnish various silicon-bearing diazomethane reagents. The applicability of the process is highlighted by disclosure of batch and continuous flow one-pot esterification and 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition processes. Furthermore, the high-yielding esterification of carboxylic acids with silylated and substituted methylamines in continuous flow is disclosed. Finally, work-up and purification procedures are reported for the preparation of a 2-MeTHF solution of TMSCHN2 , which can be used in rhodium-catalyzed methylenation and homologation reactions.

Mild Esterification of Carboxylic Acids via Continuous Flow Diazotization of Amines.

A new continuous flow protocol for the diazotization of methylamine with 1,3-propanedinitrite in THF is reported. The synthesis of methyl esters was achieved in high yields from a variety of carboxylic acids in 20 min at 90 °C. Additionally, this protocol was extended to other aryl and alkyl amines, namely secondary amines, to produce various substituted esters in high yield using 2-MeTHF as a solvent. The reaction conditions were compatible with many functional groups, namely nitrogen-containing heterocycles, alkynes, alkenes, alcohols, and phenols. Mechanistic investigations reveal that the reaction appears to proceed through a transient diazonium species rather than a diazo intermediate.