Selective Radical Amination of Aldehydic C(sp2)-H Bonds with Fluoroaryl Azides via Co(II)-Based Metalloradical Catalysis: Synthesis of N-Fluoroaryl Amides from Aldehydes under Neutral and Nonoxidative Conditions.

The Co(II) complex of the D2h-symmetric amidoporphyrin 3,5-Di t Bu-IbuPhyrin, [Co(P1)], has proven to be an effective metalloradical catalyst for intermolecular amination of C(sp2)-H bonds of aldehydes with fluoroaryl azides. The [Co(P1)]-catalyzed process can employ aldehydes as the limiting reagents and operate under neutral and non-oxidative conditions, generating nitrogen gas as the only byproduct. The metalloradical aldehydic C-H amination is suitable for different combinations of aldehydes and fluoroaryl azides, producing the corresponding N-fluoroaryl amides in good to excellent yields. A series of mechanistic studies support a stepwise radical mechanism for the Co(II)-catalyzed intermolecular C-H amination.