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The prenyl group is present in numerous biologically active small molecule drugs and natural products. We introduce benzylic C-H alkenylation of substrates Ar-CH3 with alkenylboronic esters (CH2)3O2B-CH=CMe2 as a pathway to form prenyl functionalized arenes Ar-CH2CH=CMe2. Mechanistic studies of this radical relay catalytic protocol reveal diverse reactivity pathways exhibited by the copper(II) vinyl intermediate [CuII]-CH=CMe2 that involve radical capture, bimolecular C-C bond formation, and hydrogen atom transfer (HAT). 

The methyl moiety is a key functional group that can result in major improvements in the potency and selectivity of pharmaceutical agents. We present a radical relay C–H methylation methodology that employs a β-diketiminate copper catalyst capable of methylating unactivated C(sp3)–H bonds. Taking advantage of the bench-stable DABAL-Me3, an amine-stabilized trimethylaluminum reagent, methylation of a range of substrates possessing both activated and unactivated C(sp3)–H bonds proceeds with a minimal amount of overmethylation. Mechanistic studies supported by both experiment and computation suggest the intermediacy of a copper(II) methyl intermediate reactive toward both the loss of the methyl radical as well capture of radicals R• to form R–Me bonds. 

Commercially available benzophenone imine (HNCPh 2 ) reacts with β-diketiminato copper( ii ) tert -butoxide complexes [Cu II ]–O t Bu to form isolable copper( ii ) ketimides [Cu II ]–NCPh 2 . Structural characterization of the three coordinate copper( ii ) ketimide [Me 3 NN]Cu–NCPh 2 reveals a short Cu-N ketimide distance (1.700(2) Å) with a nearly linear Cu–N–C linkage (178.9(2)°). Copper( ii ) ketimides [Cu II ]–NCPh 2 readily capture alkyl radicals R˙ (PhCH(˙)Me and Cy˙) to form the corresponding R–NCPh 2 products in a process that competes with N–N coupling of copper( ii ) ketimides [Cu II ]–NCPh 2 to form the azine Ph 2 CN–NCPh 2 . Copper( ii ) ketimides [Cu II ]–NCAr 2 serve as intermediates in catalytic sp 3 C–H amination of substrates R–H with ketimines HNCAr 2 and t BuOO t Bu as oxidant to form N -alkyl ketimines R–NCAr 2 . This protocol enables the use of unactivated sp 3 C–H bonds to give R–NCAr 2 products easily converted to primary amines R–NH 2 via simple acidic deprotection.