A Decarboxylative Cross-Coupling Platform To Access 2-Heteroaryl Azetidines: Building Blocks with Application in Medicinal Chemistry

Photoredox-transition metal dual catalysis provides a unique platform for constructing sp³-rich chemical matter. Here, we report a nickel-catalyzed cross-coupling of commercially available or easily prepared redox-active NHP azetidine-2-carboxylates with commercially available heteroaryl iodides to yield 2-heteroaryl azetidines. This "off-the-shelf" approach yielded products amenable to diversification giving access to novel saturated heterocyclic scaffolds useful for medicinal chemistry programs. An alternative mechanism for Hantzsch ester within nickel-catalyzed cross-coupling of heteroaryl halides and α-amino radicals is also presented.