Enantioselective Transformations of α- and β-Amino C-H Bonds Promoted by Cooperative Actions of Achiral and Chiral Lewis Acid Catalysts

Abstract

This dissertation describes the development of cooperative catalyst systems for the regio- and enantio-selective α- and β-amino C-H functionalization of N-alkylamines, inspired by the concepts of frustrated Lewis pairs (FLPs). Prior to this dissertation research, the development of effective and broadly applicable catalytic protocol to transform amino C-H bonds with high enantioselectivity remained as a formidable problem. In Chapter 1, the recent advances in the field of amino C-H functionalization through hydride transfer process that served as intellectual foundations for this dissertation research is presented. As highlighted in the first chapter, key challenges of amino C-H functionalization are: (1) unreactive nature of α, β- and/or γ-amino C-H bonds, (2) requirement for the use of precious metal-based catalysts and external oxidants under acidic/basic and harsh conditions, (3) use of directing groups for regioselectivity, and (4) poor functional group tolerance. Inspired by the unique capability of FLPs to activate otherwise unreactive molecules while disfavoring undesirable acid-base complexation, we have developed a protocol for enantioselective α-amino C-H functionalization of N-alkylamines, where chiral and achiral Lewis acid catalysts work cooperatively (Chapter 2). The application of the cooperative catalyst system comprising of B(C6F5)3, a chiral Lewis acid, and a Brønsted base to the enantioselective β-amino C-H functionalization is described in Chapter 3.