Asymmetric, radical C–H functionalizations are rare, yet powerful tools for solving modern synthetic challenges. Specifically, the enantio- and regio-selective C–H amination of alcohols to access medicinally valuable, chiral β-amino alcohols remains elusive. To solve this challenge, a radical relay chaperone strategy was designed, wherein an alcohol is transiently converted to an imidate radical that undergoes intramolecular H-atom transfer (HAT). This regioselective HAT was also rendered enantioselective by harnessing energy transfer catalysis to mediate selective radical generation and interception by a chiral copper catalyst. The successful development of this multi-catalytic, asymmetric, radical C–H amination enables broad access to chiral β-amino alcohols from a variety of alcohols containing alkyl, allyl, benzyl, and propargyl C–H bonds. Mechanistic experiments reveal triplet energy sensitization of a Cu-bound radical precursor facilitates catalyst-mediated HAT stereoselectivity – enabling the synthesis of several important classes of chiral β-amines by enantioselective, radical C–H amination.

In this review, we summarize the recent advances in the field of copper-catalyzed C–H functionalization via a radical relay process, with a critical focus on the asymmetrical versions.

A radical relay strategy has been developed to enable selective δ C–H arylation. The approach employs a chiral copper catalyst, which serves the dual roles of generating an N-centered radical to promote intramolecular H-atom transfer, and then intercepting a distal C-centered radical for C–C bond formation with (hetero)aryl boronic acids.

A visible light-mediated difluoromethylation of N-benzylacrylamides with HCF2SO2Cl as the HCF2 radical precursor is described. The reaction incorporates a tandem cyclization/dearomatization process to afford various difluoromethylated 2-azaspiro[4.5]deca-6,9-diene-3,8-diones bearing adjacent quaternary stereocenters under mild conditions in moderate to excellent yields.