D-Glucose: An Efficient Reducing Agent for a Copper(II)-Mediated Arylation of Primary Amines in Water

A copper-catalyzed Ullmann-type amination with primary amines in water with a combination of copper(II) triflate [Cu(OTf)(2)], dipivaloylmethane, and d-glucose is reported. The mild conditions and the use of an inexpensive catalyst as well as a renewable feedstock (d-glucose and the surfactant TPGS-750-M, which is derived from vitamin E) make this protocol a safe and convenient strategy for efficient C-N bond formation. This easy-to-handle procedure is extremely competitive compared to palladium-based reactions and may be used to synthesize N-containing molecules, such as drugs or organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs).