Iron Corrole-Catalyzed Intramolecular Amination Reactions of Alkyl Azides. Spectroscopic Characterization and Reactivity of [Fe(Cor)(NAd)].

As nitrogen analogues of iron-oxo species, high-valent iron-imido species have attracted great interest in the past decades. Fe-alkylimido species are generally considered to be key reaction intermediates in Fe(III)-catalyzed C(sp)─H bond aminations of alkyl azides but remain underexplored. Here, it is reported that iron-corrole (Cor) complexes can catalyze a wide range of intramolecular C─H amination reactions of alkyl azides to afford a variety of 5-, 6- and 7-membered N-heterocycles, including alkaloids and natural product derivatives, with up to 3880 turnover numbers (TONs) and excellent diastereoselectivity (>99:1 d.r.). Mechanistic studies including density functional theory (DFT) calculations and intermolecular hydrogen atom abstraction (HAA) reactions reveal key reactive Fe-alkylimido intermediates. The [Fe(Cor)(NAd)] (Ad = adamantyl) complex is independently prepared and characterized through electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), resonance Raman (rR) measurement, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). This complex is reactive toward HAA reactions with kinetic isotope effects (KIEs) similar to [Fe(Cor)]-catalyzed intramolecular C─H amination of alkyl azides.