Synthesis of 1,2-amino alcohols via catalytic C-H amidation of sp(3) methyl C-H bonds.

Herein a new synthetic route to 1,2-amino alcohols is presented by using C-H amidation of sp(3) methyl C-H bonds as a key step. Readily available alcohols were employed as starting materials after converting them to removable ketoxime chelating groups. Iridium catalysts were found to be effective for the C-H amidation, and LAH reduction was then used to furnish β-amino alcohol products.