Paper by Philipp Stein and A. Stephen K. Hashmi published in Nature Communications

Anilines are of paramount impor­tance to all aspects of chemi­cal science (pharma­ceu­ti­cals, agrochem­i­cals, organic chemi­cals, and natural bioac­tive products).

Such motifs are typically accessed by a nitra­tion-reduc­tion sequence or by transi­tion metal-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions. However, specific site-selec­tiv­ity is a signif­i­cant challenge for all of the mentioned proto­cols. Alter­na­tively, direct C–C amina­tion is a method to address the site-selec­tiv­ity problem. Never­the­less, safe and easy-to-handle proto­cols for direct C–C amina­tions are still needed.

The working group of Hector Fellow A. Stephen K. Hashmi presents a new approach, influ­enced by the synthe­sis of phenols via the Hock rearrange­ment, which is the key step for the indus­trial phenol synthe­sis. Despite some early evidence for such a reactiv­ity pattern, the synthetic utility of this process so far was limited. Their results might pave the way for further proto­cols based on this pattern in the future.

Congrat­u­la­tions to Philipp Stein and A. Stephen K. Hashmi!