Reversing Polarity: Carbonyl α-Aminations with Nitrogen Nucleophiles

The synthesis of α-amino carbonyl compounds is an important challenge in synthesis en route to biologically essential structures. While classical approaches involve the use of enol or enolate chemistries in combination with an electrophilic source of nitrogen, those strategies usually necessitate further transformations to reach the desired targets. In recent years, a new approach arose involving the direct use of nucleophilic sources of nitrogen along with an oxidant. This approach advantageously leads, in one-pot, to the biologically relevant α-amino compound without requiring further transformation. This review highlights the recent advances in the emerging field of oxidative α-amination reactions using nucleophilic sources of nitrogen.