Iodoarene-Catalyzed Stereospecific Intramolecular sp3 C–H Amination: Reaction Development and Mechanistic Insights

A new strategy is reported for intramolecular sp(3) C-H amination under mild reaction conditions using iodoarene as catalyst and m-CPBA as oxidant. This C-H functionalization involving iodine(III) reagents generated in situ occurs readily at sterically hindered tertiary C-H bonds. DFT (M06-2X) calculations show that the preferred pathway involves an iodonium cation intermediate and proceeds via an energetically concerted transition state, through hydride transfer followed by the spontaneous C-N bond formation. This leads to the experimentally observed amination at a chiral center without loss of stereochemical information.