Transition-metal-assisted radical/radical cross-coupling: a new strategy to the oxidative C(sp3)-H/N-H cross-coupling.

A transition-metal-assisted oxidative C(sp(3))-H/N-H cross-coupling reaction of N-alkoxyamides with aliphatic hydrocarbons is described. During the reaction, nitrogen radicals were generated from the oxidation of N-alkoxyamides. Experiments and DFT calculations revealed that transition-metal catalyst could lower the reactivity of the generated nitrogen radical by the coordination of the transition metal, which allowed the selective radical/radical cross-coupling with the transient sp(3) carbon radical to construct C(sp(3))--N bonds. Various C(sp(3))-H bonds could be transformed into C(sp(3))-N bonds through this radical amidation strategy.