Photochemical Regioselective C(sp3)-H Amination of Amides Using N-Haloimides.

A metal-free regioselective C(sp3)-H amination of amides using N-haloimides in the presence of lithium tert-butoxide and visible light is presented herein. This photoexcited approach is straightforward, and it aminates a wide variety of amides under mild conditions without the use of photocatalysts, external radical initiators, or oxidants. A halogen-bonded intermediate between the tert-butoxide base and the N-haloimide is proposed to be responsible for the increased photoreactivity. Calculations show that the formation of this electron donor-acceptor complex presents an exergonic energy profile.