Summary The site-specific incorporation of deuterium (D) into small molecules is frequently used to access isotopically labeled compounds with broad utility in many research areas, such as drug development, mechanistic studies, and NMR analyses. Nevertheless, the deuteration of a stereocenter in an enantioselective manner, which could slow the metabolism and improve the bioavailability of bioactive molecules, remains challenging owing to the lack of established catalytic methods. Here, we report an asymmetric α-deuteration strategy for azaarenes with inexpensive D 2 O as the deuterium source. A cooperative visible light-driven photoredox and chiral Brønsted acid–catalyzed system using a Hantzsch ester as the terminal reductant has been developed, which enables racemic α-chloro-azaarenes and prochiral azaarene-substituted ketones to experience a single-electron reduction–enantioselective deuteration process. The transition metal-free method provides important chiral α-deuterated azaarenes in satisfactory yields with good to excellent enantioselectivities (up to 99% ee) and substantial deuterium incorporation.

A visible‐light‐driven sequential photoredox catalysis to allow N‐aryl α‐amino acids to experience efficient cascade aerobic decarboxylative Povarov and oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH) reactions is described. With a dicyanopyrazine‐derived chromophore (DPZ) as a photoredox catalyst in both transformations, two series of valuable azaarenes, i. e., 4‐amino tetrahydroquinolines (THQs) and quinolines, were obtained in satisfactory yields featuring diverse 2‐ and 2,3‐substituent patterns. To enable the ODH reaction of 4‐amino THQs, a cooperative catalysis with N‐hydroxyphthalimide was developed. Additionally, an unprecedented synthesis of chiral N‐amino‐2‐methyl THQs with high enantioselectivities was realized.magnified image

Reported herein is the first example of 2-allylazaarenes in asymmetric catalysis. Highly γ-selective allylation was demonstrated for activated ketones, including isatins and trifluoromethyl ketones. In the presence of either an amino-acid-based tertiary amine or quaternary ammonium salt catalyst, two series of tertiary hydroxy-containing moieties were installed at the remote δ-position of azaarenes in good chemical yields, excellent enantioselectivities, and E/Z ratios. The success of current γ-selective reactions should provide inspiration for expansion to other allylazaarene derivatives and would open up new paradigms for the synthesis of chiral γ- and/or δ-functionalized azaarenes.

Biocatalysis has emerged as a valuable and reliable tool for industrial and academic societies, particularly in fields related to bioredox reactions. The cost of cofactors, especially those needed to be replenished at stoichiometric amounts or more, is the chief economic concern for bioredox reactions. In this study, a readily accessible, inexpensive, and bench‐stable Hantzsch ester is verified as the viable and efficient NAD(P)H mimic by four enzymatic redox transformations, including two non‐heme diiron N‐oxygenases and two flavin‐dependent reductases. This finding provides the potential to significantly reduce the costs of NAD(P)H‐relying bioredox reactions.

A chiral Brønsted acid catalysed phosphinemediated deoxygenation protocol is reported. This metal-free method provides a precise kinetic resolution platform for azaarylethynyl tertiary alcohols, which are a broad category of biologically and synthetically important azaarene derivatives. In addition to providing an efficient method for the first asymmetric preparation of these tertiary alcohols, the strategy facilitates the construction of azaaryl-functionalized allenes with good to excellent enantioselectivities. The high selectivity factors (s up to 235), broad substrate scope, and ability to convert azaaryl compounds into both chiral tertiary alcohols and allenes robustly underscore the efficiency and promising utility of this method. The practicability is further validated by the successful synthesis of deuterated allenes with high ee values and substantial incorporation of deuterium using inexpensive D 2 O as the deuterium source.