N-Heterocyclic Carbene Iron(III) Porphyrin-Catalyzed Intramolecular C(sp(3))-H Amination of Alkyl Azides

Metal-catalyzed intramolecular C-H amination of alkyl azides constitutes an appealing approach to alicyclic amines; challenges remain in broadening substrate scope, enhancing regioselectivity, and applying the method to natural product synthesis. Herein we report an iron(III) porphyrin bearing axial N-heterocyclic carbene ligands which catalyzes the intramolecular C(sp(3))-H amination of a wide variety of alkyl azides under microwave-assisted and thermal conditions, resulting in selective amination of tertiary, benzylic, allylic, secondary, and primary C-H bonds with up to 95% yield. 14 out of 17 substrates were cyclized selectively at C4 to give pyrrolidines. The regioselectivi\ty at C4 or C5 could be tuned by modifying the reactivity of the C5-H bond. Mechanistic studies revealed a concerted or a fast re-bound mechanism for the amination reaction. The reaction has been applied to the syntheses of tropane, nicotine, cis-octahydroindole, and leelamine derivatives.