Iron porphyrin-catalysed C(sp3)-H amination with alkyl azides for the synthesis of complex nitrogen-containing compounds

Transition metal-catalysed direct C-N bond formation via nitrenoid (metal-imido/nitrene complexes) insertion, such as C-H bond amination, is a powerful strategy for preparing nitrogen-containing organic compounds. In this context, metal catalysts based on iron are appealing due to iron's high Earth abundance and biocompatibility. Herein, we demonstrate that iron(iii) NHC porphyrin-catalysed C(sp(3))-H amination with alkyl azides, using [Fe-III(TDCPP)(IMe)(2)]I (H2TDCPP = tetrakis(2,6-dichlorophenyl)porphyrin, IMe = 1,3-dimethylimidazol-2-ylidene) as a catalyst, offers a complementary approach for the synthesis of structurally complex organic compounds as exemplified by the synthesis of a panel of nitrogen-containing skeletons that are representative examples of various families of natural products and bioactive compounds.