Site-selective C–H arylation of primary aliphatic amines enabled by a catalytic transient directing group

Transition-metal-catalysed direct C–H bond functionalization of aliphatic amines is of great importance in organic and medicinal chemistry research. Several methods have been developed for the direct sp3 C–H functionalization of secondary and tertiary aliphatic amines, but site-selective functionalization of primary aliphatic amines in remote positions remains a challenge. Here, we report the direct, highly site-selective γ-arylation of primary alkylamines via a palladium-catalysed C–H bond functionalization process on unactivated sp3 carbons. Using glyoxylic acid as an inexpensive, catalytic and transient directing group, a wide array of γ-arylated primary alkylamines were prepared without any protection or deprotection steps. This approach provides straightforward access to important structural motifs in organic and medicinal chemistry without the need for pre-functionalized substrates or stoichiometric directing groups and is demonstrated here in the synthesis of analogues of the immunomodulatory drug fingolimod directly from commercially available 2-amino-2-propylpropane-1,3-diol. Transition-metal-catalysed direct C(sp3)−H functionalization of primary aliphatic amines is an attractive– but elusive – process that could provide efficient access to biologically and pharmaceutically important compounds. Now, a palladium-catalysed γ-arylation of primary alkylamines is achieved using an inexpensive, catalytic and transient directing group.