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Various nitrogen-substituted iso(thio)cyanates engage in [3 + 2]-cycloaddition reactions to form azomethine imines containing triazolone, triazole-thione, and pyrazole-thione cores. First, iminoisothiocyanates are shown to undergo aminothiocarbonylation reactions with strained alkenes, and a comparison with recently reported reactions of iminoisocyanates highlights their reduced reactivity. In contrast, amino(thio)carbonylation reactions of imines with iminoisocyanates and iminoisothiocyanates proved more efficient, providing access to triazolone and triazole-thione cores. The dipole products can be converted to valuable heterocyclic cores through simple derivatization reactions.

The ubiquity of nitrogen heterocycles in biologically active molecules challenges synthetic chemists to develop a variety of tools for their construction. While developing metal-free hydroamination reactions of hydrazine derivatives, it was discovered that carbazates and semicarbazides can also lead to alkene aminocarbonylation products if nitrogen-substituted isocyanates (N-isocyanates) are formed in situ as reactive intermediates. At first this reaction required high temperatures (150-200 °C), and issues included competing hydroamination and N-isocyanate dimerization pathways. Herein, improved conditions for concerted intramolecular alkene aminocarbonylation with N-isocyanates are reported. The use of βN-benzyl carbazate precursors allows the effective minimization of N-isocyanate dimerization. Diminished dimerization leads to higher yields of alkene aminocarbonylation products, to reactivity at lower temperatures, and to an improved scope for a reaction sequence involving alkene aminocarbonylation followed by 1,2-migration of the benzyl group. Furthermore, fine-tuning of the blocking (masking) group on the N-isocyanate precursor, and reaction conditions relying on base catalysis for N-isocyanate formation from simpler precursors resulted in room temperature reactivity, consequently minimizing the competing hydroamination pathway. Collectively, this work highlights that controlled reactivity of aminoisocyanates is possible, and provides a broadly applicable alkene aminocarbonylation approach to heterocycles possessing the β-aminocarbonyl motif.

Cascade reactions for the synthesis of 1,2,4-triazinones and 5-aminopyridazinones are reported using α-ketocarbazones as N-isocyanate precursors and exploiting the divergent reactivity observed with primary and secondary amines. Triazinones were formed with primary amines, likely through addition of the amine on the N-isocyanate, followed by cyclization (condensation) on the ketone. In contrast, such cyclization is impossible for secondary amines; this allows in situ formation of enamines, which, upon cyclization, generate 5-amino pyridazinones. This sequence further illustrates the versatility of N-isocyanates in heterocyclic synthesis and provides a rare example of carbon nucleophiles reacting with N-isocyanates.

In contrast to normal C-substituted isocyanates, nitrogen-substituted isocyanates (N-isocyanates) are rare. Their high reactivity and amphoteric/ambident nature has prevented the scientific community from exploiting their synthetic potential. Recently, we have developed an in situ formation approach using a reversible equilibrium, which allows controlled generation and reactivity of N-isocyanates and prevents the dimerization that is typically observed with these intermediates. This blocked (masked) N-isocyanate approach enables the use of various N-isocyanate precursors to assemble heterocycles possessing the N–N–CO motif, which is often found in agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals. Cascade reactions for the rapid assembly of several valuable 5- and 6-membered heterocycles are reported, including amino-hydantoins, acyl-pyrazoles, acyl-phthalazinones and azauracils. Over 100 different compounds were synthesized using amino-, imino- and amido-substituted N-isocyanates, demonstrating their potential as powerful intermediates in heterocyclic synthesis. Their reactivity also enables access to unprecedented bicyclic derivatives and to substitution patterns of azauracils that are difficult to access using known methods, illustrating that controlled reactivity of N-isocyanates provides new disconnections, and a new tool to assemble complex N–N–CO containing motifs.

A one-pot sequence for the synthesis of aza-diketopiperazines is reported, involving carbazate acylation with chloroacetyl chloride, SN2 with a primary amine, N-isocyanate formation, and cyclization. Nitrogen-substituted isocyanates (N-isocyanates) are a rare class of amphoteric isocyanate with high, but severely underdeveloped synthetic potential. This approach highlights that βN-acyl carbazates can act as blocked (masked) N-isocyanates, thus allowing a challenging intermolecular SN2 reaction of a primary amine to proceed while the N-isocyanate is "protected", and then cyclization once it is unmasked. Control experiments show that the alternate pathway--N-isocyanate substitution and then cyclization by an intramolecular SN2 reaction--is not operating.

Nitrogen-substituted isocyanates are rarely utilized but powerful building blocks for the development of cascade reactions in heterocyclic synthesis. These reactive amphoteric intermediates can be accessed in situ via an equilibrium that allows controlled reactivity in the presence of bifunctional partners such as α-amino esters. A cascade reaction has been carried out that forms 3-aminohydantoin derivatives using simple phenoxycarbonyl derivatives of hydrazides and hydrazones as precursors of N-substituted-isocyanates. This method allows rapid assembly of complex aminohydantoin derivatives, including analogues of medicinally-relevant compounds, using simple reactants.

Various nitrogen-substituted iso(thio)cyanates engage in [3 + 2]-cycloaddition reactions to form azomethine imines containing triazolone, triazole–thione, and pyrazole–thione cores. First, iminoisothiocyanates are shown to undergo aminothiocarbonylation reactions with strained alkenes, and a comparison with recently reported reactions of iminoisocyanates highlights their reduced reactivity. In contrast, amino(thio)carbonylation reactions of imines with iminoisocyanates and iminoisothiocyanates proved more efficient, providing access to triazolone and triazole–thione cores. The dipole products can be converted to valuable heterocyclic cores through simple derivatization reactions.

A copper-catalyzed cascade reaction of in situ generated nitrogen-substituted isocyanates (N-isocyanates) and 2-iodoanilines has been developed. The cascade relies on the base-catalyzed substitution of masked N-isocyanates, followed by Cu(I)-catalyzed coupling to afford a variety of 1-aminobenzimidazolones in moderate to excellent yields. This is the first example of a transition-metal-catalyzed cascade reaction involving N-isocyanate intermediates.

The ubiquity of nitrogen heterocycles in biologically active molecules challenges synthetic chemists to develop a variety of tools for their construction. While developing metal-free hydroamination reactions of hydrazine derivatives, it was discovered that carbazates and semicarbazides can also lead to alkene aminocarbonylation products if nitrogen-substituted isocyanates (N-isocyanates) are formed in situ as reactive intermediates. At first this reaction required high temperatures (150-200 °C), and issues included competing hydroamination and N-isocyanate dimerization pathways. Herein, improved conditions for concerted intramolecular alkene aminocarbonylation with N-isocyanates are reported. The use of βN-benzyl carbazate precursors allows the effective minimization of N-isocyanate dimerization. Diminished dimerization leads to higher yields of alkene aminocarbonylation products, to reactivity at lower temperatures, and to an improved scope for a reaction sequence involving alkene aminocarbonylation followed by 1,2-migration of the benzyl group. Furthermore, fine-tuning of the blocking (masking) group on the N-isocyanate precursor, and reaction conditions relying on base catalysis for N-isocyanate formation from simpler precursors resulted in room temperature reactivity, consequently minimizing the competing hydroamination pathway. Collectively, this work highlights that controlled reactivity of aminoisocyanates is possible, and provides a broadly applicable alkene aminocarbonylation approach to heterocycles possessing the β-aminocarbonyl motif.

A copper-catalyzed cascade reaction of in situ generated nitrogen-substituted isocyanates (N-isocyanates) and 2-iodoanilines has been developed. The cascade relies on the base-catalyzed substitution of masked N-isocyanates, followed by Cu(I)-catalyzed coupling to afford a variety of 1-aminobenzimidazolones in moderate to excellent yields. This is the first example of a transition-metal-catalyzed cascade reaction involving N-isocyanate intermediates.

Cascade reactions for the synthesis of 1,2,4-triazinones and 5-aminopyridazinones are reported using α-ketocarbazones as N-isocyanate precursors and exploiting the divergent reactivity observed with primary and secondary amines. Triazinones were formed with primary amines, likely through addition of the amine on the N-isocyanate, followed by cyclization (condensation) on the ketone. In contrast, such cyclization is impossible for secondary amines; this allows in situ formation of enamines, which, upon cyclization, generate 5-amino pyridazinones. This sequence further illustrates the versatility of N-isocyanates in heterocyclic synthesis and provides a rare example of carbon nucleophiles reacting with N-isocyanates.

In contrast to normal C-substituted isocyanates, nitrogen-substituted isocyanates (N-isocyanates) are rare. Their high reactivity and amphoteric/ambident nature has prevented the scientific community from exploiting their synthetic potential. Recently, we have developed an in situ formation approach using a reversible equilibrium, which allows controlled generation and reactivity of N-isocyanates and prevents the dimerization that is typically observed with these intermediates. This blocked (masked) N-isocyanate approach enables the use of various N-isocyanate precursors to assemble heterocycles possessing the N–N–CO motif, which is often found in agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals. Cascade reactions for the rapid assembly of several valuable 5- and 6-membered heterocycles are reported, including amino-hydantoins, acyl-pyrazoles, acyl-phthalazinones and azauracils. Over 100 different compounds were synthesized using amino-, imino- and amido-substituted N-isocyanates, demonstrating their potential as powerful intermediates in heterocyclic synthesis. Their reactivity also enables access to unprecedented bicyclic derivatives and to substitution patterns of azauracils that are difficult to access using known methods, illustrating that controlled reactivity of N-isocyanates provides new disconnections, and a new tool to assemble complex N–N–CO containing motifs.

The microwave-assisted triethylamine-catalyzed reaction of hydrazone-based N-isocyanate precursors (I) and (IV) with propargylamines (II) leads to imidazolones (III) and (V), respectively.

The synthesis of 2-epi-pumiliotoxin C was achieved in ten steps from cyclohexadiene oxide, using a challenging Cope-type hydroamination key step. This cyclization was performed on a mixture of two epimeric hydroxylamines, and a boat transition state is proposed to explain the kinetic preference observed for the cyclization of the epimer leading to N-hydroxy-epipumiliotoxin C.

The development of the Cope-type hydroamination as a method for the metal- and acid-free intermolecular hydroamination of hydroxylamines with alkenes and alkynes is described. Aqueous hydroxylamine reacts efficiently with alkynes in a Markovnikov fashion to give oximes and with strained alkenes to give N-alkylhydroxylamines, while unstrained alkenes are more challenging. N-Alkylhydroxylamines also display similar reactivity with strained alkenes and give modest to good yields with vinylarenes. Electron-rich vinylarenes lead to branched products while electron-deficient vinylarenes give linear products. A beneficial additive effect is observed with sodium cyanoborohydride, the extent of which is dependent on the structure of the hydroxylamine. The reaction conditions are found to be compatible with common protecting groups, free OH and NH bonds, as well as bromoarenes. Both experimental and theoretical results suggest the proton transfer step of the N-oxide intermediate is of vital importance in the intermolecular reactions of alkenes. Details are disclosed concerning optimization, reaction scope, limitations, and theoretical analysis by DFT, which includes a detailed molecular orbital description for the concerted hydroamination process and an exhaustive set of calculated potential energy surfaces for the reactions of various alkenes, alkynes, and hydroxylamines.

A one-pot sequence for the synthesis of aza-diketopiperazines is reported, involving carbazate acylation with chloroacetyl chloride, SN2 with a primary amine, N-isocyanate formation, and cyclization. Nitrogen-substituted isocyanates (N-isocyanates) are a rare class of amphoteric isocyanate with high, but severely underdeveloped synthetic potential. This approach highlights that βN-acyl carbazates can act as blocked (masked) N-isocyanates, thus allowing a challenging intermolecular SN2 reaction of a primary amine to proceed while the N-isocyanate is “protected”, and then cyclization once it is unmasked. Control experiments show that the alternate pathway—N-isocyanate substitution and then cyclization by an intramolecular SN2 reaction—is not operating.

A variety of pyrazolones were synthesized from enol ethers and hydrazones using a reaction sequence involving aminocarbonylation of enol ethers followed by nucleophile-induced aromatization of the azomethine imines intermediates. Using bases to catalyze the in situ formation of imino isocyanates allowed alkene aminocarbonylation to proceed under milder conditions with reactive substrates and enabled aminocarbonylation reactions of sensitive enol ethers. Aromatization of the azomethine imines could be induced by reduction using NaBH4, or by addition of NH2OH to afford the parent βN–H products.

Catalysts possessing sufficient activity to achieve intermolecular alkene hydroaminations under mild conditions are rare, and this likely accounts for the scarcity of asymmetric variants of this reaction. Herein, highly diastereoselective hydroaminations of allylic amines utilizing hydroxylamines as reagents and formaldehyde as catalyst are reported. This catalyst induces temporary intramolecularity, which results in high rate accelerations, and high diastereocontrol with either chiral allylic amines or chiral hydroxylamines. The reaction scope includes internal alkenes. Overall this work provides a new, stereocontrolled route to form complex vicinal diamines.

Carbon-substituted isocyanates and isothiocyanates are common building blocks in organic synthesis. In contrast, synthetic uses of N-substituted isocyanates and isothiocyanates are severely underdeveloped: few have been reported and their reactivity had not been compared. Herein, we compare the reactivity of blocked (masked) N-isocyanate and N-isothiocyanate precursors in cascade reactions. Divergent reactivity is observed with secondary propargylic and allylic systems, leading to new syntheses of imidazolones, thiazolidines, and a tool to form complex azomethine imines.

Simple hydrazides and hydrazones are used as precursors of the required N-substituted isocyanates.

Irradiation of solutions of β,γ-unsaturated hydrazones (I), (III), and (V) with blue light LEDs gives the corresponding pyrazoles (II), (IV), and (VI).

A systematic investigation on the metal-free, Cope-type hydroamination reactivity of hydrazides and analogues is reported. Optimization of the hydrazide structure resulted in more facile intramolecular reactivity and enabled intermolecular reactions of alkenes, thus providing a direct approach to polysubstituted hydrazides.

It is found that under appropriate conditions commonly difficult intramolecular hydroamination of several internal alkenes yielding 6-membered N-heterocyclic ring systems can be performed successfully.

Simple O-phenyl-substituted carbazates can form amphoteric amino isocyanate intermediates in situ.

The relative reactivities of various Zn, Al and Sm carbenoids in the chemoselective Simmons–Smith cyclopropanation of geraniol and its benzyl ether derivative were studied. Directed cyclopropanation was obtained in all cases, even with a iodomethylaluminum reagent. By variation of the reaction protocols using aluminum carbenoids, cyclopropanation can favor the proximal or distal double bond.

Various mixed diorganozinc reagents were prepared by the irradiation of diethylzinc and functionalized alkyl iodides. These species were shown to react with dihalomethane to form zinc carbenoids in a highly regioselective manner. In some cases, the latter reagents proved to be effective cyclopropanating reagents.

Azomethine imines can be accessed upon heating appropriate alkynylhydrazide precursors. This simple thermal hydroamination approach allows the formation of five- and six-membered dipoles in modest to excellent yields. The structure of the acyl group is important to minimize side reactions and allow the isolation of the azomethine imines by column chromatography.

Selective reaction of one alcohol among many in complex molecules can be achieved by the use of a catalyst that forms a single covalent bond to a nearby functional group.

Complex hydrazone derivatives can be accessed readily from hydrazones upon heating in the presence of nucleophiles. This reactivity likely involves imino-isocyanate intermediates, and a variety of leaving groups can be used at temperatures ranging from 20 to 150 °C. Alcohols, thiols, primary, and secondary amines can be used as nucleophiles, thus providing a simple alternative to the synthesis of hydrazones via condensation on the parent carbonyl precursor and allowing late-stage derivatization.

Examples of intramolecular alkene hydroaminations forming six-membered ring systems are rare, especially for systems in which the double bond is disubstituted. Such cyclizations have important synthetic relevance. Herein we report a systematic study of these cyclizations using recently developed Cope-type hydroamination methodologies. Difficult intramolecular alkene hydroaminations were used as key steps in syntheses of 2-epi-pumiliotoxin C, coniine, N-norreticuline and desbromoarborescidine A. This effort required the development of optimized hydroamination conditions to improve the efficiency of the cyclizations. Collectively, our results show that Cope-type cyclizations can be achieved on a variety of challenging substrates and proceed under similar conditions for both N-H and N-substituted hydroxylamines.

Cope-type hydroaminations are versatile for the direct amination of alkenes, alkynes and allenes using hydroxylamines and hydrazine derivatives. These reactions occur via a concerted, 5-membered cyclic transition state that is the microscopic reverse of the Cope elimination. This article focuses on recent developments, including intermolecular variants, directed reactions, and asymmetric variants using aldehydes as tethering catalysts, and their applications in target-oriented synthesis.

Complex cyclic azomethine imines possessing a β-aminocarbonyl motif can be accessed readily from simple alkenes and hydrazones. This alkene aminocarbonylation approach allows formation of ketone-derived azomethine imines of unprecedented complexity. Since unsymmetrical hydrazones are used, two stereoisomers are formed: the reactivity of chiral derivatives is explored in both intra- and intermolecular systems.

Azomethine imines can be accessed upon heating appropriate alkynylhydrazide precursors. This simple thermal hydroamination approach allows the formation of five- and six-membered dipoles in modest to excellent yields. The structure of the acyl group is important to minimize side reactions and allow the isolation of the azomethine imines by column chromatography.

Simple O-phenyl-substituted carbazates can form amphoteric amino isocyanate intermediates in situ.

This method allows for modular preparation of stable, crystalline azomethines from simple alkenes and hydrazones.

Intermolecular hydroamination of unactivated alkenes represents a significant synthetic challenge. An efficient Cope-type hydroamination is achieved under mild conditions for reactions of N-alkylhydroxylamines with allylic amines, using hydrogen bonding to achieve increased reactivity and high regioselectivity. This approach provides a number of highly functionalized vicinal diamine motifs as Markovnikov addition products.

Cyclic azomethine imines possessing a β-aminocarbonyl motif are accessed from simple alkene and hydrazone starting materials. A thermal, concerted alkene aminocarbonylation pathway involving an imino-isocyanate intermediate is proposed and supported by DFT calculations. A notable feature of the process is the steric shielding present in the dipoles formed, which allows for facile purification of the products by chromatography or crystallization. In addition, a fluorenone-derived reagent is reported, which provides reactivity with several alkene classes and allows for mild derivatization of the dipoles into β-aminoamides, β-aminoesters, and β-amino acids.

Herein we describe a catalytic tethering strategy in which simple aldehyde precatalysts enable, through temporary intramolecularity, room-temperature intermolecular hydroamination reactivity and the synthesis of vicinal diamines. The catalyst allows the formation of a mixed aminal from an allylic amine and a hydroxylamine, resulting in a facile intramolecular hydroamination event. The promising enantioselectivities obtained with a chiral aldehyde also highlight the potential of this catalytic tethering approach in asymmetric catalysis and demonstrate that efficient enantioinduction relying only on temporary intramolecularity is possible.

Herein we describe a catalytic tethering strategy in which simple aldehyde precatalysts enable, through temporary intramolecularity, room-temperature intermolecular hydroamination reactivity and the synthesis of vicinal diamines. The catalyst allows the formation of a mixed aminal from an allylic amine and a hydroxylamine, resulting in a facile intramolecular hydroamination event. The promising enantioselectivities obtained with a chiral aldehyde also highlight the potential of this catalytic tethering approach in asymmetric catalysis and demonstrate that efficient enantioinduction relying only on temporary intramolecularity is possible.

A systematic investigation on the metal-free, Cope-type hydroamination reactivity of hydrazides and related compounds is presented, showing its generality.

Various mixed diorganozinc reagents were prepared by the irradiation of diethylzinc and functionalized alkyl iodides. These species were shown to react with dihalomethane to form zinc carbenoids in a highly regioselective manner. In some cases, the latter reagents proved to be effective cyclopropanating reagents.

Irradiation of a solution of ethyl zinc alkoxides and CH2I2 leads to clean formation of iodomethylzinc alkoxides; these intermediates are important species generated in stereoselective cyclopropanation processes; no alkyl group exchange is observed in the absence of irradiation; the solid-state structure of (MeO)8Zn7(CH2I)6 is also reported.

Benzoic hydrazides (R = Ph), which are remarkably bench and thermally stable reagents (often up to 230 °C), afford intramolecular hydroamination products upon heating at high temperatures (120−235 °C). A concerted Cope-type hydroamination event, followed by a hydrazide-mediated proton transfer step of the hydrazinium ylide intermediate, is proposed and supported by DFT calculations. In contrast, a simple modification of the reagent structure (R = Ot-Bu or NH2) favors the formation of aminocarbonylation products at 200 °C, and the latter reaction is shown to be stereospecific.

The condensation of ketones and hydroxylamines to form ketonitrones was reinvestigated by using thermal conditions previously found to minimize hydroxylamine decomposition (t-BuOH, 110 degrees C). This simple approach allows the formation of exocyclic, acyclic, and alpha,beta-unsaturated ketonitrones with benzylic, linear, and branched nitrogen substituents in modest to excellent isolated yields.