Iron-Catalyzed Intramolecular C-H Amination of α-Azidyl Amides

Iron-catalyzed intramolecular C-H amination of aliphatic azides has recently emerged as a powerful tool for the preparation of nitrogen heterocycles. This paper reports that alpha-azidyl amides can be converted in high efficacy to imidazolinone compounds via intramolecular C(sp(3))-H amination by the action of a simple catalytic system composed of FeCl2 and a beta-diketiminate ligand. The reactions provide a simple and atom-economical approach toward polysubstituted imidazolinones.