Among the transition metals, copper-based catalyst systems enable the widest range of N-containing reagents in C−H amination to allow for the direct incorporation of versatile N-based functionalities via ubiquitous C−H bonds. In addition to nitrene-based approaches involving sulfonyliminoiodinanes (PhINSO 2 R), diverse non-nitrene protocols have been developed that allow for the direct use of organic amides, nitrosoarenes, and hydroxylamines, strained heterocycles such as oxaziridines, acetonitrile, secondary sulfonylamines, and even alkylamines and arylamines. Synthetic, mechanistic, and theoretical studies reveal discrete copper nitrenes [Cu]NR and copper amides [Cu]−NHR to be key reactive intermediates in C−H amination. Copper-catalyzed sp 3 C−H amination is reviewed, connecting catalytic reactivity patterns with likely copper intermediates wherever possible, with the goal to stimulate the further development of C−H functionalization reactions with copper which possess significant sustainability advantages over other contemporary approaches involving noble metals.

En route to catalysis: Two equivalents of the three‐coordinate copper(II) amide [(Cl2NN)Cu]‐NHAd participate in stoichiometric CH amination by a H‐atom abstraction/radical capture sequence. This active species may be generated through a copper(II) tert‐butoxide intermediate to allow for the unprecedented catalytic amination of sp3‐CH bonds with unactivated alkylamines. This method greatly expands the range of amines for catalytic CH amination since most protocols require N‐based electron‐withdrawing groups.

Kinetic analysis of the reaction of the copper(I) β-diketiminate [Cl(2)NN]Cu ([Cu(I)]) with (t)BuOO(t)Bu to give [Cu(II)]-O(t)Bu (1) reveals first-order behavior in each component implicating the formation of free (t)BuO(•) radicals. Added pyridine mildly inhibits this reaction indicating competition between (t)BuOO(t)Bu and py for coordination at [Cu(I)] prior to peroxide activation. Reaction of [Cu(I)] with dicumyl peroxide leads to [Cu(II)]-OCMe(2)Ph (3) and acetophenone suggesting the intermediacy of the PhMe(2)CO(•) radical. Computational methods provide insight into the activation of (t)BuOO(t)Bu at [Cu(I)]. The novel peroxide adduct [Cu(I)]((t)BuOO(t)Bu) (4) and the square planar [Cu(III)](O(t)Bu)(2) (5) were identified, each unstable toward loss of the (t)BuO(•) radical. Facile generation of the (t)BuO(•) radical is harnessed in the catalytic C-H etherification of cyclohexane with (t)BuOO(t)Bu at rt employing [Cu(I)] (5 mol %) to give the ether Cy-O(t)Bu in 60% yield.

Aniline joins the club: A β-diketiminato copper(I) catalyst enables C-H amination of anilines employing low catalyst loadings to preclude oxidation to the diazene ArN=NAr. Electron-poor anilines are particularly resistant towards diazene formation and participate in the amination of strong and unactivated C-H bonds. N-alkyl anilines also take part in C-H amination.

Auf dem Weg zur Katalyse: Zwei Äquivalente des Kupfer(II)‐amids [(Cl2NN)]Cu‐NHAd nehmen über eine Sequenz aus H‐Abstraktion und Radikaleinfang an stöchiometrischen C‐H‐Aminierungen teil (siehe Schema). Diese aktive Spezies entsteht vermutlich über ein Kupfer(II)‐tert‐butoxid‐Zwischenprodukt und sorgt für eine beispiellose katalytische Aktivierung von sp3‐C‐H‐Bindungen mit nichtaktivierten Alkylaminen. Die Methode erweitert enorm die Bandbreite von Aminen für katalytische C‐H‐Aminierungen, da die meisten bisherigen Protokolle elektronenziehende N‐Substituenten erfordern.

Metal ion complexing properties of the ligand 2,9-bis(hydroxymethyl)-1,10-phenanthroline (PDALC) are reported. For PDALC, the rigid 1,10-phenanthroline backbone leads to high levels of preorganization and enhanced selectivity for larger metal ions with an ionic radius of about 1.0 A that can fit well into the cleft of the ligand. Structures of PDALC complexes with two larger metal ions, Ca(II) and Pb(II), are reported. [Ca(PDALC) 2](ClO 4) 2 ( 1) is triclinic, Pi, a = 7.646(3), b = 13.927(4), c = 14.859(5) (A), alpha = 72.976(6), beta = 89.731(6), mu = 78.895(6) degrees , V = 1482.5(8) A (3), Z = 2, R = 0.0818. [Pb(PDALC)(ClO 4) 2] ( 2) is triclinic, Pi, a = 8.84380(10), b = 9.0751(15), c = 12.178(2) (A), alpha = 74.427(3), beta = 78.403(13), mu = 80.053(11) degrees , V = 915.0(2) A (3), Z = 2, R = 0.0665. In 1, the Ca(II) is eight-coordinate, with an average Ca-N of 2.501 A and Ca-O of 2.422 A. The structure of 1 suggests that Ca(II) is coordinated in a very low-strain manner in the two PDALC ligands. In 2, Pb(II) appears to be eight-coordinate, with coordination of PDALC and four O donors from perchlorates bridging between neighboring Pb atoms. The Pb has very short Pb-N bonds averaging 2.486 A and Pb-O bonds to the alcoholic groups of PDALC of 2.617 A. It is suggested that the Pb(II) has a stereochemically active lone pair situated on the Pb(II) opposite the two N donors of the PDALC, and in line with this, the Pb-L bonds become longer as one moves around the Pb from the sites of the two N donors to the proposed position of the lone pair. There are two oxygen donors from two perchlorates, nearer the N donors, with shorter Pb-O lengths averaging 2.623 A. Two oxygens from perchlorates nearer the proposed site of the lone pair form very long Pb-O bond lengths averaging 3.01 A. The Pb(II) also appears to coordinate in the cleft of PDALC in a low-strain manner. Formation constants are reported for PDALC in 0.1 M NaClO 4 at 25.0 degrees C. These show that, relative to 1,10-phenanthroline, the hydroxymethyl groups of PDALC produce a significant stabilization for large metal ions such as Cd(II) or Pb(II) that are able to fit in the cleft of PDALC but destabilize the complexes of metal ions such as Ni(II) or Cu(II) that are too small for the cleft.

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The metal ion selectivity for M(III) (M = metal) ions exhibited by the highly preorganized ligand PDALC is investigated (PDALC = 2,9-bis(hydroxymethyl)-1,10-phenanthroline). The structures are reported of [Bi(PDALC)(H(2)O)(2)(ClO(4))(3)] x H(2)O (1), monoclinic, P2(1)/c, a = 12.8140(17), b = 19.242(3), c = 9.2917(12) A, beta = 91.763(2) degrees, V = 2289.9(5) A(3), Z = 4, R = 0.0428; [Th(PDALC)(NO(3))(4)] x 3 H(2)O (2), monoclinic, P2(1)/n, a = 7.876(3), b = 22.827(9), c = 12.324(5) A, beta = 94.651(6) degrees, V = 2208.4(15) A(3), Z = 4, R = 0.0669; [Cd(PDALC)(2)](ClO(4))(2) (3)), triclinic, P1, a = 7.5871(16), b = 13.884(3), c = 14.618(3) A, alpha = 74.081(2) degrees, beta = 88.422(2) degrees, gamma = 78.454(2) degrees, V = 1450.2(5) A(3), Z = 2, R = 0.0267. The Bi in 1 is best regarded as 9-coordinate, with four short bonds to the PDALC, and two short bonds to the coordinated water molecules, with three long bonds to perchlorate oxygens. The Bi-N bonds at 2.35 A are by a considerable margin the shortest Bi-N bonds to 1,10-phenanthroline (phen) type ligands, which is suggested to be due to the Bi adapting to the metal ion size requirements of PDALC. The Th(IV) in 2 is 12-coordinate, with four bonds to PDALC, and the four chelated nitrates, with close to normal bond lengths to the PDALC ligand. The Cd(II) in 3 is 8-coordinate, with Cd-N and Cd-O bonds that are similar to those found in other 8-coordinate Cd(II) complexes. The five known structures of PDALC complexes, including the three reported here, suggest that the M-N bonds to PDALC are quite easily varied in length in response to differing metal ion sizes, but that the M-O bonds are more constrained by the rigid ligand to be close to the ideal value of 2.50 A. The formation constants (log K(1)) for M(III) ions with PDALC show that for small metal ions such as Ga(III) and Fe(III), log K(1) is only slightly higher than for phen, suggesting that these metal ions are too small to coordinate to the alcoholic oxygen donors of PDALC. For larger metal ions such as Bi(III), Gd(III), Th(IV), and UO(2)(2+), log K(1) for PDALC is higher than log K(1) for phen by more than 5 log units, which stabilization is attributed to the fact that PDALC is preorganized for complexation with large metal ions with an ionic radius of about 1.0 A. The fluorescence of M(III) complexes of PDALC is discussed. PDALC free ligand gives fluorescence typical of phen ligands, with the protonated form giving a broad less intense band, and the non-protonated form of the ligand giving an intense structured set of bands. Large lanthanide ions without partially filled f-subshells, such as La(III), Lu(III), and also Y(III), give a fairly strong CHEF (chelation-enhanced fluorescence) effect, while those with partially filled f-subshells, such as Gd(III), Yb(III), and Tb(III), strongly quench the fluorescence of PDALC. A heavy element such as Bi(III) has strong spin-orbit coupling effects that act to quench the fluorescence of PDALC almost completely, which effect is enhanced by the covalence of the Bi...