The “Borrowing Hydrogen Strategy” by Supported Ruthenium Hydroxide Catalysts: Synthetic Scope of Symmetrically and Unsymmetrically Substituted Amines

The N‐alkylation of ammonia (or its surrogates, such as urea, NH₄HCO₃, and (NH₄)₂CO₃) and amines with alcohols, including primary and secondary alcohols, was efficiently promoted under anaerobic conditions by the easily prepared and inexpensive supported ruthenium hydroxide catalyst Ru(OH)_x/TiO₂. Various types of symmetrically and unsymmetrically substituted “tertiary” amines could be synthesized by the N‐alkylation of ammonia (or its surrogates) and amines with “primary” alcohols. On the other hand, the N‐alkylation of ammonia surrogates (i.e., urea and NH₄HCO₃) with “secondary” alcohols selectively produced the corresponding symmetrically substituted “secondary” amines, even in the presence of excess amounts of alcohols, which is likely due to the steric hindrance of the secondary alcohols and/or secondary amines produced. Under aerobic conditions, nitriles could be synthesized directly from alcohols and ammonia surrogates. The observed catalysis for the present N‐alkylation reactions was intrinsically heterogeneous, and the retrieved catalyst could be reused without any significant loss of catalytic performance. The present catalytic transformation would proceed through consecutive N‐alkylation reactions, in which alcohols act as alkylating reagents. On the basis of deuterium‐labeling experiments, the formation of the ruthenium dihydride species is suggested during the N‐alkylation reactions.     

Facile N‐Alkylation/N′‐Arylation Process: A Direct Approach to Aromatic Aminoalkyl Amines

An intriguing C?N transformation involving a catalyst‐free N‐alkylation/N′‐arylation process in a multicomponent reaction with secondary amines, cyclic tertiary amines and electron‐deficient aryl halides has been described. In this case, the N‐alkylation of secondary amines, utilizing cyclic tertiary amines as alkyl group sources, is enabled by a facile C?N cleavage. Such an operationally simple method could facilitate access to aromatic aminoalkyl amines, nitrogen‐containing bioactive molecules, in good to excellent yields.     

Chromium‐Catalyzed Alkylation of Amines by Alcohols

The alkylation of amines by alcohols is a broadly applicable, sustainable, and selective method for the synthesis of alkyl amines, which are important bulk and fine chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and agrochemicals. We show that Cr complexes can catalyze this C?N bond formation reaction. We synthesized and isolated 35 examples of alkylated amines, including 13 previously undisclosed products, and the use of amino alcohols as alkylating agents was demonstrated. The catalyst tolerates numerous functional groups, including hydrogenation‐sensitive examples. Compared to many other alcohol‐based amine alkylation methods, where a stoichiometric amount of base is required, our Cr‐based catalyst system gives yields higher than 90 % for various alkyl amines with a catalytic amount of base. Our study indicates that Cr complexes can catalyze borrowing hydrogen or hydrogen autotransfer reactions and could thus be an alternative to Fe, Co, and Mn, or noble metals in (de)hydrogenation catalysis.     

Chromium-Catalyzed Alkylation of Amines by Alcohols

The alkylation of amines by alcohols is a broadly applicable, sustainable, and selective method for the synthesis of alkyl amines, which are important bulk and fine chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and agrochemicals. We show that Cr complexes can catalyze this C−N bond formation reaction. We synthesized and isolated 35 examples of alkylated amines, including 13 previously undisclosed products, and the use of amino alcohols as alkylating agents was demonstrated. The catalyst tolerates numerous functional groups, including hydrogenation-sensitive examples. Compared to many other alcohol-based amine alkylation methods, where a stoichiometric amount of base is required, our Cr-based catalyst system gives yields higher than 90 % for various alkyl amines with a catalytic amount of base. Our study indicates that Cr complexes can catalyze borrowing hydrogen or hydrogen autotransfer reactions and could thus be an alternative to Fe, Co, and Mn, or noble metals in (de)hydrogenation catalysis.     

Catalyst‐Free Deaminative Functionalizations of Primary Amines by Photoinduced Single‐Electron Transfer

The use of pyridinium‐activated primary amines as photoactive functional groups for deaminative generation of alkyl radicals under catalyst‐free conditions is described. By taking advantage of the visible light absorptivity of electron donor–acceptor complexes between Katritzky pyridinium salts and either Hantzsch ester or Et₃N, photoinduced single‐electron transfer could be initiated in the absence of a photocatalyst. This general reactivity platform has been applied to deaminative alkylation (Giese), allylation, vinylation, alkynylation, thioetherification, and hydrodeamination reactions. The mild conditions are amenable to a diverse range of primary and secondary alkyl pyridiniums and demonstrate broad functional group tolerance.     

KF/Al2O3‐Mediated N‐Alkylation of Amines and Nitrogen Heterocycles and S‐Alkylation of Thiols

KF/Al₂O₃ efficiently catalyzes N‐alkylation of heterocyclic, primary, and secondary amines and S‐alkylation of thiols with a variety of alkyl halides. The N‐alkylation and S‐alkylation adducts were produced in good to excellent yields and in short times.     

Pt-Sn/γ-Al2O3-catalyzed highly efficient direct synthesis of secondary and tertiary amines and imines

Versatile syntheses of secondary and tertiary amines by highly efficient direct N‐alkylation of primary and secondary amines with alcohols or by deaminative self‐coupling of primary amines have been successfully realized by means of a heterogeneous bimetallic Pt–Sn/γ‐Al₂O₃ catalyst (0.5 wt % Pt, Pt/Sn molar ratio=1:3) through a borrowing‐hydrogen strategy. In the presence of oxygen, imines were also efficiently prepared from the tandem reactions of amines with alcohols or between two primary amines. The proposed mechanism reveals that an alcohol or amine substrate is initially dehydrogenated to an aldehyde/ketone or NH‐imine with concomitant formation of a [PtSn] hydride. Condensation of the aldehyde/ketone species or deamination of the NH‐imine intermediate with another molecule of amine forms an N‐substituted imine which is then reduced to a new amine product by the in‐situ generated [PtSn] hydride under a nitrogen atmosphere or remains unchanged as the final product under an oxygen atmosphere. The Pt–Sn/γ‐Al₂O₃ catalyst can be easily recycled without Pt metal leaching and has exhibited very high catalytic activity toward a wide range of amine and alcohol substrates, which suggests potential for application in the direct production of secondary and tertiary amines and N‐substituted imines.     

Selective N-alkylation of amines using nitriles under hydrogenation conditions: facile synthesis of secondary and tertiary amines

Nitriles were found to be highly effective alkylating reagents for the selective N-alkylation of amines under catalytic hydrogenation conditions. For the aromatic primary amines, the corresponding secondary amines were selectively obtained under Pd/C-catalyzed hydrogenation conditions. Although the use of electron poor aromatic amines or bulky nitriles showed a lower reactivity toward the reductive alkylation, the addition of NH(4)OAc enhanced the reactivity to give secondary aromatic amines in good to excellent yields. Under the same reaction conditions, aromatic nitro compounds instead of the aromatic primary amines could be directly transformed into secondary amines via a domino reaction involving the one-pot hydrogenation of the nitro group and the reductive alkylation of the amines. While aliphatic amines were effectively converted to the corresponding tertiary amines under Pd/C-catalyzed conditions, Rh/C was a highly effective catalyst for the N-monoalkylation of aliphatic primary amines without over-alkylation to the tertiary amines. Furthermore, the combination of the Rh/C-catalyzed N-monoalkylation of the aliphatic primary amines and additional Pd/C-catalyzed alkylation of the resulting secondary aliphatic amines could selectively prepare aliphatic tertiary amines possessing three different alkyl groups. According to the mechanistic studies, it seems reasonable to conclude that nitriles were reduced to aldimines before the nucleophilic attack of the amine during the first step of the reaction.     

Alkylation of Amines with Alcohols and Amines by a Single Catalyst under Mild Conditions

An efficient catalytic system for the alkylation of amines with either alcohols or amines under mild conditions has been developed, using cyclometallated iridium complexes as catalysts. The method has broad substrate scope, allowing for the synthesis of a diverse range of secondary and tertiary amines with good to excellent yields. By controlling the ratio of substrates, both mono‐ and bis‐alkylated amines can be obtained with high selectivity. In particular, methanol can be used as the alkylating reagent, affording N‐methylated products selectively. A strong solvent effect is observed for the reaction.     

New Iridium Catalysts for the Selective Alkylation of Amines by Alcohols under Mild Conditions and for the Synthesis of Quinolines by Acceptor‐less Dehydrogenative Condensation

A novel family of iridium catalysts stabilised by P,N‐ligands have been introduced. The ligands are based on imidazo[1,5‐b]pyridazin‐7‐amines and can be synthesised with a broad variety of substitution patterns. The catalysts were synthesised quantitatively from the protonated ligands and a commercially available iridium precursor. The catalysts mediate the alkylation of amines by alcohols under mild conditions (70 °C). In addition, the synthesis of quinolines from secondary or primary alcohols and amino alcohols is reported. This sustainable synthesis proceeds through the liberation of two equivalents of water and two equivalents of dihydrogen. The investigations indicate that catalysts suitable for hydrogen autotransfer or borrowing hydrogen chemistry might also be suitable for acceptor‐less dehydrogenative condensation reactions.     

Nickel‐Catalyzed N‐Alkylation of Acylhydrazines and Arylamines Using Alcohols and Enantioselective Examples

A borrowing‐hydrogen reaction between amines and alcohols is an atom‐economic way to prepare alkylamines, ideally with water as the sole byproduct. Herein, nickel catalysts are used for direct N‐alkylation of hydrazides and arylamines using racemic alcohols. Moreover, a nickel catalyst of (S )‐binapine was used for an asymmetric N‐alkylation of benzohydrazide with racemic benzylic alcohols.     

Colloid and nanodimensional catalysts in organic synthesis: III. Alkylation of amines with primary alcohols catalyzed by colloidal nickel and cobalt

Alkylation of primary amines with primary alcohols has been performed under catalysis by colloidal nickel and cobalt particles. The synthesis of the catalyst and alkylation of amines have been carried out in a one-pot mode. The alkylation at 160–180°C in 6–12 h yields 55–90% of secondary amines.     

Oxidative Amide Coupling from Functionally Diverse Alcohols and Amines Using Aerobic Copper/Nitroxyl Catalysis

The aerobic Cu/ABNO catalyzed oxidative coupling of alcohols and amines is highlighted in the synthesis of amide bonds in diverse drug‐like molecules (ABNO=9‐azabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane N‐oxyl). The robust method leverages the privileged reactivity of alcohols bearing electronegative hetero‐ atoms (O, F, N, Cl) in the β‐position. The reaction tolerates over 20 unique functional groups and is demonstrated on a 15 mmol scale under air. Steric constraints of the catalyst allow for chemoselective amidation of primary amines in the presence of secondary amines. All catalyst components are commercially available, and the reaction proceeds under mild conditions with retention of stereocenters in both reaction partners, while producing only water as a by‐product.     

N-triflyl-propiolamides: Preparation and transamidation reactions

N-Trifluoromethylsulfonyl-propiolamides have been prepared by two methods: a) N-triflation of secondary acetylenic carboxanilides, prepared in two steps from terminal alkynes, with triflic anhydride (Tf₂O) and b) from terminal alkynes and an aryl or alkyl isocyanate followed by Tf₂O in a consecutive one-pot reaction. The title compounds are bench-stable and insensitive to water and alcohols but amenable to transamidation reactions with a wide range of amine nucleophiles. Conversely, they are excellent reagents for the propynoylation of ammonia, primary and secondary amines, anilines, and hydrazines.     

A General and Mild Catalytic α‐Alkylation of Unactivated Esters Using Alcohols

Catalytic α‐alkylation of esters with primary alcohols is a desirable process because it uses low‐toxicity agents and generates water as the by‐product. Reported herein is a NCP pincer/Ir catalyst which is highly efficient for α‐alkylation of a broad scope of unactivated esters under mild reaction conditions. For the first time, alcohols alkylate unactivated α‐substituted acyclic esters, lactones, and even methyl and ethyl acetates. This method can be applied to the synthesis of carboxylic acid derivatives with diverse structures and functional groups, some of which would be impossible to access by conventional enolate alkylations with alkyl halides.     

Transition‐Metal‐Free Hydrogen Autotransfer: Diastereoselective N‐Alkylation of Amines with Racemic Alcohols

A practical method for the synthesis of α‐chiral amines by alkylation of amines with alcohols in the absence of any transition‐metal catalysts has been developed. Under the co‐catalysis of a ketone and NaOH, racemic secondary alcohols reacted with Ellman's chiral tert‐butanesulfinamide by a hydrogen autotransfer process to afford chiral amines with high diastereoselectivities (up to >99:1). Broad substrate scope and up to a 10 gram scale production of chiral amines were demonstrated. The method was applied to the synthesis of chiral deuterium‐labelled amines with high deuterium incorporation and optical purity, including examples of chiral deuterated drugs. The configuration of amine products is found to be determined solely by the configuration of the chiral tert‐butanesulfinamide regardless of that of alcohols, and this is corroborated by DFT calculations. Further mechanistic studies showed that the reaction is initiated by the ketone catalyst and involves a transition state similar to that proposed for the Meerwein–Ponndorf–Verley (MPV) reduction, and importantly, it is the interaction of the sodium cation of the base with both the nitrogen and oxygen atoms of the sulfinamide moiety that makes feasible, and determines the diastereoselectivity of, the reaction.     

Multialkylation of aqueous ammonia with alcohols catalyzed by water-soluble Cp*Ir-ammine complexes

Novel water-soluble Cp*Ir-ammine complexes have been synthesized, and a new and highly atom-economical system for the synthesis of organic amines using aqueous ammonia as a nitrogen source has been developed. With a water-soluble and air-stable Cp*Ir-ammine catalyst, [Cp*Ir(NH(3))(3)][I](2), a variety of tertiary and secondary amines were synthesized by the multialkylation of aqueous ammonia with theoretical equivalents of primary and secondary alcohols. The catalyst could be recycled by a facile procedure maintaining high activity. A one-flask synthesis of quinolizidine starting with 1,5,9-nonanetriol was also demonstrated. This new catalytic system would provide a practical and environmentally benign methodology for the synthesis of various organic amines.     

Upgrading CO2 by Incorporation into Urethanes through Silver‐Catalyzed One‐Pot Stepwise Amidation Reaction

One‐pot two‐step stepwise reaction of terminal propargylic alcohols, carbon dioxide, and primary/secondary amines for the effective synthesis of various urethanes through robust silver‐catalysed C‐O/C‐N bond formation is reported. Catalytic activities were investigated by controlling catalyst loading, reaction pressure and time, and very high turnover number (turnover frequency) was obtained: 3350 (35 h⁻¹) with 0.01 mol% silver catalyst under 0.1 MPa, and up to 13360 (139 h⁻¹) with 0.005 mol% silver catalyst under 2.0 MPa at room temperature. The strategy was ingeniously regulated, and synchronously afforded a wide range of β‐oxopropylcarbamate and 1,3‐oxazolidin‐2‐one motifs in excellent yields and selectivity together with unprecedented high turnover number (TON) and turnover frequency (TOF) value.     

Nickel−Copper bimetallic mesoporous nanoparticles: As an efficient heterogeneous catalyst for N‐alkylation of amines with alcohols

A bimetallic catalyst (Ni/Cu‐MCM‐41) is prepared via co‐condensation method. The latter is characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FT‐IR), X‐ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy (EDX), diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), and nitrogen adsorption–desorption analysis. Catalytic performance of Ni/Cu‐MCM‐41 is probed in N‐alkylation of amines with alcohols through a hydrogen autotransfer process. Noteworthy, this catalytic system appears very efficient for synthesis of a range of secondary and tertiary amines in good to excellent isolated yields. Moreover, the catalyst is successfully recovered and reused four times without notable decrease in its activity.     

Practical Synthesis of N‐Alkyl‐N‐alkyloxycarbonylaminomethyl Prodrug Derivatives of Acetaminophen,Theophylline, and 6‐Mercaptopurine

We report a novel synthesis of N‐alkyl‐N‐alkyloxycarbonylaminomethyl (NANAOCAM) prodrugs of acetaminophen, theophylline, and 6‐mercaptopurine by alkylation of the corresponding drug molecule with N‐alkyl‐N‐alkyloxycarbonylaminomethyl chlorides in good yield. Most of the alkylating agents were efficiently synthesized by chloromethylation of N‐alkyl carbamic acid alkyl esters, which in turn were made from alkyl amines and alkyl chloroformates. In cases where the alkyl chloroformates were not available, synthesis of N‐alkyl carbamic acid alkyl esters was accomplished by converting an alcohol to a chloroformate or to an activated acylating agent such as acyl imidazoles or p‐nitrophenylcarbonate esters, followed by their reaction with alkyl amines.