Copper-Catalyzed 8-Aminoquinoline-Directed Oxidative C-H/N-H Coupling for N-Arylation of Sulfoximines

A copper-catalyzed cross-dehydrogenative C-H/N-H coupling has been devised to access a series of N-arylated sulfoximines in high yield from 8-aminoquinoline-derived benzamides and sulfoximines. The reaction is scalable, and mechanistic studies favor the involvement of an organometallic pathway, where C-H bond cleavage is presumed to be the kinetically relevant step. The utility of sulfoximine-coupled benzamides was displayed through the nickel-catalyzed acceptorless dehydrogenative olefination of benzyl alcohols.