Synthesis of Chiral α‐Amino Ketones via Transition Metal Catalyzed or Photoredox Cross‐Coupling and Olefin Photo‐Cleavage Reaction Sequence

Abstract We report a convenient two‐step approach to α‐amino ketones involving cross‐coupling and oxidative cleavage sequence. The cross‐coupling reaction creates a divergent functionalization of the molecular platform, e. g., N ‐(2‐bromoallyl)amine, whereas the oxidative cleavage establishes the carbonyl functionality. This strategy allows for an introduction of aryl/heteroaryl and alkyl groups, either through the Suzuki reaction with arylboronic acids or via dual photoredox/Ni‐catalysis to install alkyl groups. The oxidative cleavage to provide target α‐amino ketones can be realized either by treating with ozone or by employing milder photochemical protocols involving oxygen or photoexcited nitroarenes as oxidants. We successfully demonstrate the scalability of this protocol, which, together with its simplicity, generality, and its ability to provide access to amino ketones that are inaccessible through other strategies, highlights the suitability of this approach for a wide range of applications across the different chemical sciences. magnified image