Deuteration Degree-Controllable Methylation via a Cascade Assembly Strategy using Methylamine-Water as Methyl Source

Citation:

Guo F, Shan S, Gong X, Dai C, Quan Z*, Cheng X*, Fan* X. Deuteration Degree-Controllable Methylation via a Cascade Assembly Strategy using Methylamine-Water as Methyl Source. Chemistry – A European Journal. 2023;29:e202301458.

摘要:

Abstract We present a novel and effective photocatalytic method for the methylation of ?-diketones with controllable degrees of deuterium incorporation via development of new methyl sources. By utilizing a methylamine-water system as the methyl precursor and a cascade assembly strategy for deuteration degree control, we synthesized methylated compounds with varying degrees of deuterium incorporation, showcasing the versatility of this approach. We examined a range of ?-diketone substrates and synthesized key intermediates for drug and bioactive compounds with varying degrees of deuterium incorporation, ranging from 0 to 3. We also investigated and discussed the postulated reaction pathway. This work demonstrates the utility of readily available reagents, methylamines and water, as a new methyl source, and provides a simple and efficient strategy for the synthesis of degree-controllable deuterium-labelled compounds.