C(sp³)-H methylation enabled by peroxide photosensitization and Ni-mediated radical coupling.

ABSTRACT: The "magic methyl" effect describes the change in potency, selectivity, and/or metabolic stability of a drug candidate associated with addition of a single methyl group. We report a synthetic method that enables direct methylation of C(sp³)-H bonds in diverse drug-like molecules and pharmaceutical building blocks. Visible light-initiated triplet energy transfer promotes homolysis of the O-O bond in di-tert-butyl or dicumyl peroxide under mild conditions. The resulting alkoxyl radicals undergo divergent reactivity, either hydrogen-atom transfer from a substrate C-H bond or generation of a methyl radical via β-methyl scission. The relative rates of these steps may be tuned by varying the reaction conditions or peroxide substituents to optimize the yield of methylated produc

SUBMITTER: Vasilopoulos A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8110093 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature