Metal-free methylation of a pyridine N-oxide C-H bond by using peroxides.

Metal-free methylation of a pyridine N-oxide C-H bond was developed using peroxide as a methyl reagent under neat conditions. Pyridine N-oxide derivatives with various groups (e.g., Cl, NO2, and OCH3) were all suitable substrates, and the desired products were obtained in moderate to excellent yields under standard conditions. Moreover, the methylation can be performed with a good yield on the gram-scale experiment. Tentative mechanistic studies show that the methylation is a classical radical process.