Selective radical amination of aldehydic C(sp2)-H bonds with fluoroaryl azides via Co( II)-based metalloradical catalysis: synthesis of N-fluoroaryl amides from aldehydes under neutral and nonoxidative conditions

The Co(II) complex of the D-2h-symmetric amidoporphyrin 3,5-DitBu-IbuPhyrin, [Co(P1)], has proven to be an effective metalloradical catalyst for intermolecular amination of C(sp(2))-H bonds of aldehydes with fluoroaryl azides. The [Co(P1)]-catalyzed process can employ aldehydes as the limiting reagents and operate under neutral and nonoxidative conditions, generating nitrogen gas as the only byproduct. The metalloradical aldehydic C-H amination is suitable for different combinations of aldehydes and fluoroaryl azides, producing the corresponding N-fluoroaryl amides in good to excellent yields. A series of mechanistic studies support a stepwise radical mechanism for the Co(II)-catalyzed intermolecular C-H amination.