Design of a Photoredox Catalyst that Enables the Direct Synthesis of Carbamate-Protected Primary Amines via Photoinduced, Copper-Catalyzed N-Alkylation Reactions of Unactivated Secondary Halides

Abstract

Despite the long history of S_N2 reactions between nitrogen nucleophiles and alkyl electrophiles, many such substitution reactions remain out of reach. In recent years, efforts to develop transition-metal catalysts to address this deficiency have begun to emerge. In this report, we address the challenge of coupling a carbamate nucleophile with an unactivated secondary alkyl electrophile to generate a substituted carbamate, a process that has not been achieved effectively in the absence of a catalyst; the product carbamates can serve as useful intermediates in organic synthesis as well as bioactive compounds in their own right. Through the design and synthesis of a new copper-based photoredox catalyst, bearing a tridentate carbazolide/bisphosphine ligand, that can be activated upon irradiation by blue-LED lamps, we can achieve the coupling of a range of primary carbamates with unactivated secondary alkyl bromides at room temperature. Our mechanistic observations are consistent with the new copper complex serving its intended role as a photoredox catalyst, working in conjunction with a second copper complex that mediates C–N bond formation in an out-of-cage process.