Direct synthesis of carbamates, thiocarbamates, and ureas from Boc-protected amines: a sustainable and efficient approach

Abstract

In the quest for sustainable and efficient synthetic methodologies within medicinal chemistry, the synthesis of carbamates and their derivatives holds a pivotal role due to their widespread application in bioactive compounds. This investigation unveils a novel methodology for the straightforward transformation of Boc-protected amines into carbamates, thiocarbamates, and ureas, utilizing tert-butoxide lithium as the sole base. This approach effectively obviates the necessity for hazardous reagents and metal catalysts, presenting marked enhancements compared to traditional synthetic pathways. Notably, the method demonstrates facile scalability to gram-level production. This study contributes to the advancement of sustainable synthetic methodologies, offering a more benign and efficient alternative for the synthesis of key chemical intermediates with implications for broad pharmaceutical and agrochemical applications.