Journal of the American Chemical Society, Vol.136, No.41, 14389-14392, 2014
Site-Selective Aliphatic C-H Bromination Using N-Bromoamides and Visible Light
Transformations that selectively functionalize aliphatic CH bonds hold significant promise to streamline complex molecule synthesis. Despite the potential for site-selective CH functionalization, few intermolecular processes of preparative value exist. Herein, we report an approach to unactivated, aliphatic CH bromination using readily available N-bromoamide reagents and visible light. These halogenations proceed in useful chemical yields, with substrate as the limiting reagent. The site selectivities of these radical-mediated CH functionalizations are comparable (or superior) to the most selective intermolecular CH functionalizations known. With the broad utility of alkyl bromides as synthetic intermediates, this convenient approach will find general use in chemical synthesis.