Photoactivated N-Acyliminoiodinanes Applied to Amination: an ortho-Methoxymethyl Group Stabilizes Reactive Precursors

N-Acyliminoiodinanes were characterized for the first time by X-ray structural analysis. The ortho-methoxymethyl group and the carbonyl oxygen coordinate to the iodine atom of the iminoiodinane. Activation of the N-acyliminoiodinane was achieved by photoirradiation at 370 nm, thereby enabling reaction with various silyl enol ethers to give alpha-aminoketone derivatives in good to high yield. N-sulfonyliminoiodinanes bearing ortho substituents were used in photoinduced amination.