title: A multitasking functional group leads to structural diversity using designer C-H activation reaction cascades.
abstract: The C-H activation strategy has become one of the preferred methods to introduce chemical functionality to a chemically inert carbon atom. Intensive efforts have been devoted to developing either versatile bond formations (product structural diversity) or effective directing groups (substrate site selectivity). From the views of medicinal and synthetic practitioners, the C-H activation approach remains inadequate due to its limitation to point-to-point derivatization. Direct assembly of 3D molecular complexity in a single step remains elusive for this strategy. Towards this goal, a multitasking functional group is required to accomplish several missions in one pot: site selecitivity, cleavability and redox versatility. We demonstrate that an oxyacetamide group is such a multifunctional warhead that enables a series of C-H functionalization cascades and allows direct access to structurally diverse polycyclic heterocyles in one pot. The progress of these reaction cascades were fully controlled by oxidants and temperature. The proliferation of the reaction chain can be extended to a four-step cascade.
authors.affiliation: 1] State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Chemistry and BioMedical Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China [2] Guangdong Key Lab of Nano-Micro Material Research, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China [3].
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: 1] Guangdong Key Lab of Nano-Micro Material Research, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China [2] Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Graduate School of Peking University, Shenzhen 518055, China [3].
authors.forename: Dongqi
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: 1] Guangdong Key Lab of Nano-Micro Material Research, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China [2] Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Graduate School of Peking University, Shenzhen 518055, China.
authors.forename: Pingping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Duan
authors.affiliation: 1] State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Chemistry and BioMedical Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China [2] Guangdong Key Lab of Nano-Micro Material Research, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China.
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ben
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Key Lab of Nano-Micro Material Research, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China.
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Graduate School of Peking University, Shenzhen 518055, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoru
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Key Lab of Nano-Micro Material Research, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China.
authors.forename: Mei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: 1] State Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Institute of Chemistry and BioMedical Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China [2] Guangdong Key Lab of Nano-Micro Material Research, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China [3] Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Graduate School of Peking University, Shenzhen 518055, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: 1] Guangdong Key Lab of Nano-Micro Material Research, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen 518055, China [2] Key Laboratory of Chemical Genomics, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Graduate School of Peking University, Shenzhen 518055, China.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang