Enantioselective Copper-Catalyzed Cyanation of Remote C(sp³)-H Bonds Enabled by 1,5-Hydrogen Atom Transfer

The direct functionalization of C(sp³)-H bonds has led to the development of methods to access molecules or intermediates from basic chemicals in an atom- and step-economic fashion. Nevertheless, achieving high levels of chemo-, regio-, and enantioselectivity in these reactions remains challenging due to the ubiquity and low reactivity of C(sp³)-H bonds. Herein, we report an unprecedented protocol for enantioselective cyanation of remote C(sp³)-H bonds. With chiral Box-Cu complex as the catalyst, the reaction of N-fluorosulfonamide furnishes the corresponding products in excellent yields and high enantiomeric excess (ee) under mild reaction conditions. A radical relay pathway involving 1,5-hydrogen atom transfer (1,5-HAT) of N-center radicals followed by enantioselective cyanation of the in situ-formed benzyl radicals is proposed. This enantioselective copper-catalyzed cyanation thus offers insights into an efficient way for the synthesis of bioactive molecules for drug discovery.