Amine hydrochloride salts as bifunctional reagents for the radical aminochlorination of maleimides

Abstract

Amine hydrochloride salts have been typically used as amination reagents. In the conventional use of these salts, HCl is released as waste residue. Herein, we disclose a new utilization of amine hydrochloride as a bifunctional reagent, which was demonstrated via the copper-catalyzed aminochlorination of maleimides. The prominent features of this transformation were found to include the simple and efficient catalyst system, broad substrate scope, readily scalable reaction, and late-stage modification of small-molecule drugs.