Site-Selective, Photocatalytic Vinylogous Amidation of Enones

Org Lett. 2022 Nov 11;24(44):8120-8124. doi: 10.1021/acs.orglett.2c03161. Epub 2022 Nov 3.

Abstract

Despite the broad interest in organic compounds possessing a γ-aminocarbonyl motif, limited strategies for their synthesis have been reported. Herein, we describe a mild and efficient method for the site-selective amidation of unsaturated enones with electrophilic N-centered radicals as a key intermediate. The photocatalytic vinylogous reaction of dienolates with N-amino pyridinium salts affords γ-amido carbonyl compounds. This process is high-yielding, scalable, and tolerates a broad range of unsaturated α,β-unsaturated carbonyls, including biologically relevant compounds, as starting materials.