skip to main content


Title: Hypervalent iodine-promoted twofold oxidative coupling of amines with amides and thioamides: chemoselective pathway to oxazoles and thiazoles
Direct functionalization of the C(O)–N amide bond is one of the most high-profile research directions in the last few decades; however oxidative couplings involving amide bonds and functionalization of thioamide C(S)–N analogues remain an unsolved challenge. Herein, a novel hypervalent iodine-induced twofold oxidative coupling of amines with amides and thioamides has been established. The protocol accomplishes divergent C(O)–N and C(S)–N disconnection by the previously unknown Ar–O and Ar–S oxidative coupling and highly chemoselectively assembles the versatile yet synthetically challenging oxazoles and thiazoles. Employing amides instead of thioamides affords an alternative bond cleavage pattern, which is a result of the higher conjugation in thioamides. Mechanistic investigations indicate ureas and thioureas generated in the first oxidation as pivotal intermediates to realize the oxidative coupling. These findings open up new avenues for exploring oxidative amide and thioamide bond chemistry in various synthetic contexts.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1650766
NSF-PAR ID:
10412461
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ; ;
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Chemical Science
Volume:
14
Issue:
12
ISSN:
2041-6520
Page Range / eLocation ID:
3338 to 3345
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
More Like this
  1. Thioamides are ‘single-atom’ isosteres of amide bonds that have found broad applications in organic synthesis, biochemistry and drug discovery. In this New Talent themed issue, we present a general strategy for activation of N–C(S) thioamide bonds by ground-state-destabilization. This concept is outlined in the context of a full study on transamidation of thioamides with nucleophilic amines, and relies on (1) site-selective N -activation of the thioamide bond to decrease resonance and (2) highly chemoselective nucleophilic acyl addition to the thioamide CS bond. The follow-up collapse of the tetrahedral intermediate is favored by the electronic properties of the amine leaving group. The ground-state-destabilization concept of thioamides enables weakening of the N–C(S) bond and rationally modifies the properties of valuable thioamide isosteres for the development of new methods in organic synthesis. We fully expect that in analogy to the burgeoning field of destabilized amides introduced by our group in 2015, the thio amide bond ground-state-destabilization activation concept will find broad applications in various facets of chemical science, including metal-free, metal-catalyzed and metal-promoted reaction pathways. 
    more » « less
  2. Abstract

    Thioamides represent highly valuable isosteric in the strictest sense “single‐atom substitution” analogues of amides that have found broad applications in chemistry and biology. A long‐standing challenge is the direct transamidation of thioamides, a process which would convert one thioamide bond (R−C(S)−NR1R2) into another (R−C(S)−NR3N4). Herein, we report the first general method for the direct transamidation of thioamides by highly chemoselective N−C(S) transacylation. The method relies on site‐selective N‐tert‐butoxycarbonyl activation of 2° and 1° thioamides, resulting in ground‐state‐destabilization of thioamides, thus enabling to rationally manipulate nucleophilic addition to the thioamide bond. This method showcases a remarkably broad scope including late‐stage functionalization (>100 examples). We further present extensive DFT studies that provide insight into the chemoselectivity and provide guidelines for the development of transamidation methods of the thioamide bond.

     
    more » « less
  3. Abstract

    Thioamides represent highly valuable isosteric in the strictest sense “single‐atom substitution” analogues of amides that have found broad applications in chemistry and biology. A long‐standing challenge is the direct transamidation of thioamides, a process which would convert one thioamide bond (R−C(S)−NR1R2) into another (R−C(S)−NR3N4). Herein, we report the first general method for the direct transamidation of thioamides by highly chemoselective N−C(S) transacylation. The method relies on site‐selective N‐tert‐butoxycarbonyl activation of 2° and 1° thioamides, resulting in ground‐state‐destabilization of thioamides, thus enabling to rationally manipulate nucleophilic addition to the thioamide bond. This method showcases a remarkably broad scope including late‐stage functionalization (>100 examples). We further present extensive DFT studies that provide insight into the chemoselectivity and provide guidelines for the development of transamidation methods of the thioamide bond.

     
    more » « less
  4. Palladium-catalyzed Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling or aryl halides is widely employed in the synthesis of many important molecules in synthetic chemistry, including pharmaceuticals, polymers and functional materials. Herein, we disclose the first palladium-catalyzed decarbonylative Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling of amides for the synthesis of biaryls through the selective activation of the N–C(O) bond of amides. This new method relies on the precise sequence engineering of the catalytic cycle, wherein decarbonylation occurs prior to the transmetallation step. The reaction is compatible with a wide range of boronic acids and amides, providing valuable biaryls in high yields (>60 examples). DFT studies support a mechanism involving oxidative addition, decarbonylation and transmetallation and provide insight into high N–C(O) bond activation selectivity. Most crucially, the reaction establishes the use of palladium catalysis in the biaryl Suzuki–Miyaura cross-coupling of the amide bond and should enable the design of a wide variety of cross-coupling methods in which palladium rivals the traditional biaryl synthesis from aryl halides and pseudohalides. 
    more » « less
  5. The amide bond represents one of the most fundamental functional groups in chemistry. The properties of amides are defined by amidic resonance (n N →π* C=O conjugation), which enforces planarity of the six atoms comprising the amide bond. Despite the importance of 4-halo-substituted benzamides in organic synthesis, molecular interactions and medicinal chemistry, the effect of 4-halo-substitution on the properties of the amide bond in N , N -disubstituted benzamides has not been studied. Herein, we report the crystal structures and energetic properties of a full series of 4-halobenzamides. The structures of four 4-halobenzamides (halo = iodo, bromo, chloro and fluoro) in the N -morpholinyl series have been determined, namely 4-[(4-halophenyl)carbonyl]morpholine, C 11 H 12 X NO 2 , for halo = iodo ( X = I), bromo ( X = Br), chloro ( X = Cl) and fluoro ( X = F). Computations have been used to determine the effect of halogen substitution on the structures and resonance energies. 4-Iodo- N -morpholinylbenzamide crystallized with a significant distortion of the amide bond (τ + χ N = 33°). The present study supports the correlation between the Ar—C(O) axis twist angle and the twist angle of the amide N—C(O) bond. Comparison of resonance energies in synthetically valuable N -morpholinyl and N -piperidinyl amides demonstrates that the O atom of the morpholinyl ring has a negligible effect on amidic resonance in the series. 
    more » « less