Iron-Catalyzed Metal-Ligand Cooperative Approach toward Sustainable Synthesis of Azines and N-Acylhydrazones in Air

J Org Chem. 2022 Mar 4;87(5):2921-2934. doi: 10.1021/acs.joc.1c02787. Epub 2022 Jan 31.

Abstract

Herein, we describe a metal-ligand cooperative approach for the sustainable synthesis of various aldazines, ketazines, and N-acylhydrazones via dehydrogenative functionalization of alcohols with hydrazine hydrate using a simple, easy-to-prepare iron catalyst featuring a redox noninnocent tridentate arylazo backbone. Our catalyst is compatible with both primary and secondary alcohols to produce a wide variety of substituted aldazines, ketazines, and N-acylhydrazones in good isolated yields in air. A series of control experiments are performed to elucidate the reaction mechanism.