Catalytic guanylation of aliphatic,aromatic, heterocyclic primary and secondary amines using nanocrystalline zinc(II) oxide

Nanocrystalline ZnO was found to be a highly efficient heterogeneous catalyst for the guanylation of amines with various carbodiimides to afford N,N′,N″-trisubstituted guanidines in excellent yields. Structurally divergent aliphatic, aromatic, heterocyclic primary and secondary amines were converted to the corresponding N,N′,N″-trisubstituted guanidines using optimal conditions. The catalyst was easy to handle even under atmospheric conditions and can be easily recovered by centrifugation and reused for five cycles with consistent activity.     

Behaviour of enaminomalonates and enamidomalonates under various reductive conditions: a novel synthetic approach to N-acetyl-N-aryl β-amino acids

The behaviour of enaminomalonates and their deprotection to amines under various reductive conditions is described. A new synthetic approach to N-aryl-N-acetyl-β-amino acids using heterogeneous catalytic hydrogenation has been discovered.     

The utilization of ball milling in synthesis of aryl guanidines through guanidinylation and N-Boc-deprotection sequence

Solid state ball milling was used in guanidinylation reactions of aromatic amines with N,N′-Di-Boc-1H-pyrazole-1-carboxamidine reagent. Reaction conditions are advantageous, and in general reactions proceed in significantly shorter reaction times and in higher yields than under the conventional solution conditions. Mechanochemical conditions were also successfully applied to the cleavage of N-Boc protecting group.     

Synthesis of N-aryl amines enabled by photocatalytic dehydrogenation

Catalytic dehydrogenation (CD) via visible-light photoredox catalysis provides an efficient route for the synthesis of aromatic compounds. However, access to N-aryl amines, which are widely utilized synthetic moieties, via visible-light-induced CD remains a significant challenge, because of the difficulty in controlling the reactivity of amines under photocatalytic conditions. Here, the visible-light-induced photocatalytic synthesis of N-aryl amines was achieved by the CD of allylic amines. The unusual strategy using C₆F₅I as an hydrogen-atom acceptor enables the mild and controlled CD of amines bearing various functional groups and activated C–H bonds, suppressing side-reaction of the reactive N-aryl amine products. Thorough mechanistic studies suggest the involvement of single-electron and hydrogen-atom transfers in a well-defined order to provide a synergistic effect in the control of the reactivity. Notably, the back-electron transfer process prevents the desired product from further reacting under oxidative conditions.

The synergy of SET, HAT, and BET enables a visible-light induced catalytic dehydrogenation for the synthesis of N-aryl amines.     

A mild and efficient chemoselective protection of amines as N-benzyloxycarbonyl derivatives in the presence of La(NO3)3·6H2O under solvent-free conditions

A facile and versatile method for the chemoselective N-benzyloxycarbonylation of amines has been developed by treatment with benzyloxycarbonyl chloride (Cbz-Cl) in the presence of lanthanum(III) nitrate hexahydrate under solvent-free conditions. The method is general for the preparation of N-Cbz derivatives of aliphatic (acyclic and cyclic) and aromatic amines.     

N-(Benzoyloxy)amines: an investigation of their thermal stability, synthesis, and incorporation into novel peptide constructs

A series of N-benzoyloxyamines were pyrolyzed and their decomposition temperatures correlated well with the amine architecture's ability to stabilize a N-centered radical. A variety of amine substrates were treated with a biphasic mixture of benzoyl peroxide (BPO), CH₂Cl₂ and an aqueous carbonate buffer (at pH 10.5). Primary and secondary amines were successfully N-benzoyloxylated in good yield. Tertiary amines and BPO gave low yields of the corresponding N-oxide and complex product mixtures, presumably via radical decomposition. Electron deficient amines (such as fluorinated aliphatic amines, α-aminoacids, α-aminoesters, and α-aminoamides) were not N-benzoyloxylated under these conditions. Instead, N-benzoylation was observed with the fluorinated amines and the reaction was sensitive to temperature and the pH of the aqueous medium. A one-pot-two-step synthesis of N^α-FMOC-l-Leu-N^β-(benzoyloxy)-β-alanine ethyl ester, a peptide containing both an α- and a novel β-amino acid framework, was also developed.     

A novel hydride-mediated reductive rearrangement of amide: a facile synthesis of pyrimidyl and triazinyl amines

LiAlH₄ and NaBH₄ were found to mediate the conversion of 2-(pyrimidyl-2-ylsulfanyl)-N-arylbenzamides and 2-(triazinyl-2-ylsulfanyl)-N-arylbenzamides into pyrimidyl and triazinyl amines under notably mild conditions via a novel reductive rearrangement mechanism. These reactions invent a new route to prepare amines, which are a kind of important biologically active compounds and provide the first insight into a novel hydride-promoted reductive rearrangement of amides.     

A convenient synthesis of some α-oxoketene-N,S- and N,N-acetals

Some α-oxoketene-N,S- and N,N-acetals were selectively synthesized in good to excellent yields by the reaction of 1,1-dimethoxy-4,4-di(methylthio)-3-buten-2-one with primary and secondary amines under moderate conditions. Secondary amines in reaction with α-oxoketene dithioacetal yielded double-substitution products exclusively, whereas primary amines under the same conditions yielded the mono-substituted products as exclusive or main products.     

Facile N-tert-butoxycarbonylation of amines using La(NO3)3·6H2O as a mild and efficient catalyst under solvent-free conditions

Facile N-tert-butoxycarbonylation of amines is described by the treatment of various primary, secondary, benzylic and aryl amines with di-tert-butyl dicarbonate in the presence of catalytic amounts of La(NO₃)₃·6H₂O under solvent-free conditions at room temperature to afford N-tert-butylcarbamates in excellent yields.     

Reactions of chloroalkyl-gem-dichlorocyclopropanes with amines

N-Alkylation of primary and secondary amines with monochloroalkyl-gem-dichlorocyclopropanes under conditions of thermal and microwave heating results in the corresponding amino-gem-dichlorocyclopropanes. With microwave irradiation heating, the reaction time has been decreased to 1 h, the yields of the amines containing gem-dichlorocyclopropane moiety being the same. Formation of the bicyclic amine in reaction of cis-2,3-dichloromethyl-gem-dichlorocyclopropane with primary amines under conditions of phasetransfer catalysis has been studied.     

Copper(II) tetrafluoroborate as a novel and highly efficient catalyst for N-tert-butoxycarbonylation of amines under solvent-free conditions at room temperature

Commercially available copper(II) tetrafluoroborate hydrate was found to be a highly efficient catalyst for chemoselective N-tert-butoxycarbonylation of amines with di-tert-butyl dicarbonate under solvent-free conditions and at room temperature. Various aromatic amines were protected as their N-tert-butyl carbamates in high yields and in short times. No competitive side reactions such as isocyanate, urea, and N,N-di-t-Boc formation was observed. Chemoselective N-tert-butoxycarbonylation was achieved with substrates bearing OH and SH groups. Chiral α-amino acid esters afforded the corresponding N-t-Boc derivatives in excellent yields.     

Mesoionic N-heterocyclic olefin catalysed reductive functionalization of CO2 for consecutive N-methylation of amines

A mesoionic N-heterocyclic olefin (mNHO) was introduced as a metal-free catalyst for the reductive functionalization of CO₂ leading to consecutive double N-methylation of primary amines in the presence of 9-borabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane (9-BBN). A wide range of secondary amines and primary amines were successfully methylated under mild conditions. The catalyst sustained over six successive cycles of N-methylation of secondary amines without compromising its activity, which encouraged us to check its efficacy towards double N-methylation of primary amines. Moreover, this method was utilized for the synthesis of two commercially available drug molecules. A detailed mechanistic cycle was proposed by performing a series of control reactions along with the successful characterisation of active catalytic intermediates either by single-crystal X-ray study or by NMR spectroscopic studies in association with DFT calculations.

Mesoionic N-heterocyclic olefin (mNHO) catalysed consecutive N-methylation of primary and secondary amines was accomplished under 1 atm CO₂ pressure in the presence of 9-BBN as a reducing agent nearly at room temperature.     

Efficient synthetic protocol for substituted guanidines via copper(I)-mediated intermolecular amination of isothiourea derivatives

Amination of S-methyl-N,N′-bis-Boc-isothiourea with either primary or sterically hindered secondary amines promoted by copper(I) chloride and K₂CO₃ gave N,N′-bis-Boc protected guanidines in good to excellent yields under mild reaction conditions.     

N,N′,N″-Tri-Boc-guanidine (TBG): a common starting material for both N-alkyl guanidines and amidinoureas

In this Letter, we describe the unexpected reaction pattern of N,N′N″-tri-Boc-guanidine (TBG) with amines at room temperature and under reflux conditions affording N-substituted guanidines and amidinoureas, potentially important compounds with extensive applications in medicinal chemistry. This investigation shows that TBG is an excellent, readily available common starting material for the synthesis of various N-alkyl guanidines as well as N-alkyl-N′-substituted amidinoureas by simply manipulating the reaction conditions.     

Hydrogenation of β-N-substituted enaminoesters in the presence of ruthenium catalysts

β-Aminoesters were prepared in two simple steps from β-ketoesters derivatives and primary amines under mild conditions. Their hydrogenation was performed at 50 °C in the presence of several organometallic catalysts under acidic conditions. The new β-N-substituted aminoesters were isolated in moderate to good yields.     

Base catalyzed cyclization of N-aryl and N-alkyl-O-propargyl carbamates to 4-alkylidene-2-oxazolidinones

The base catalyzed cyclization of N-aryl and N-alkyl-O-propargyl carbamates is studied in detail. The effect of various bases and solvents on the efficacy of this cyclization reaction is analyzed and a new base-solvent system (LiOH in DMF) for effective cyclization of these carbamates is reported. A number of differentially substituted O-propargyl carbamates were cyclized to the corresponding 2-oxazolidinones under these conditions. The reaction conditions reported here are mild and no side reactions were observed in any of the substrates studied. A propargyl carbonate group was unaffected during the course of the cyclization of the O-propargyl carbamate group. The propargyl carbamates were prepared from the corresponding alkyl or aryl amines and the corresponding propargyl chloroformate, resulting in oxazolidinones diversely substituted at the nitrogen atom. N-Aryl-O-propargyl carbamates cyclized readily to the corresponding oxazolidinones with LiOH in DMF, whereas N-alkyl-O-propargyl carbamates reacted slowly under the same conditions. O-Propargyl carbamates substituted at the 1-position tend to cyclize faster whereas those substituted at 3-position cyclize considerably slower than the unsubstituted carbamates.     

N-Arylation of aliphatic, aromatic and heteroaromatic amines catalyzed by copper bis(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionate)

Copper bis(2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionate) was found to be an efficient catalyst for N-arylation of aliphatic, aromatic and heteroaromatic amines with aryl iodides/bromides under mild conditions. The system tolerated a variety of hindered and functionalized amines/aryl halides and the desired N-aryl amines were obtained in good to excellent yields.     

Selective C-C bonds formation,N-alkylation and benzo[d]imidazoles synthesis by a recyclable zinc composite

Earth abundant metals are much less expensive, promising, valuable metals and could be served as catalysts for the borrowing hydrogen reaction, dehydrogenation and heterocycles synthesis, instead of noble metals. The uniformly dispersed zinc composites were designed, synthesized and carefully characterized by means of XPS, EDS, TEM and XRD. The resulting zinc composite showed good catalytic activity for the N-alkylation of amines with amines, ketones with alcohols in water under base-free conditions, while unsaturated carbonyl compounds could also be synthesized by tuning the reaction conditions. Importantly, it was the first time to realize the synthesis of 2-aryl-1H-benzo[d]imidazole derivatives by using this zinc composite under green conditions. Meanwhile, this zinc catalyst could be easily recovered and reused for at least five times.     

Development of a new linker for the solid-phase synthesis of N-hydroxylated and N-methylated secondary amines

Merrifield resin was modified by the introduction of an ortho-nitrophenylethanal group that served as a linker moiety to attach amines to the resin by reductive amination. Resin-bound tertiary amines were shown to be readily transferred into the respective liberated N-hydroxylated or N-methylated derivatives by either an oxidation/Cope elimination or a permethylation/Hofmann elimination protocol. With these two divergent liberation/derivatization options, the new resin offers new flexibility in the solid phase synthesis of N-modified secondary amines, for instance in spider toxin synthesis.     

Silica-bonded N-propyl sulfamic acid as an efficient catalyst for the formylation and acetylation of alcohols and amines under heterogeneous conditions

A simple and efficient procedure for the preparation of silica-bonded N-propyl sulfamic acid (SBNPSA) by the reaction of 3-aminopropylsilica (1) and chlorosulfonic acid in chloroform is described. This solid acid is employed as a new catalyst for the formylation of alcohols and amines with ethyl formate under mild and heterogeneous conditions at room temperature with good to excellent yields. Also, SBNPSA catalyzed acetylation of various alcohols and amines with acetic anhydride at room temperature.