Deoxygenative Nucleophilic Phosphonation and Electrophilic Alkylation of Secondary Amides: A Facile Access to Quaternary α-Aminophosphonates

The widespread occurrence and synthetic accessibility of amides render them valuable precursors for the synthesis of diverse nitrogen-containing compounds. Herein, we present a metal-free and streamlined synthetic strategy for the synthesis of quaternary α-aminophosphonates. This approach involves sequential deoxygenative nucleophilic phosphonation and versatile electrophilic alkylation of secondary amides in a one-pot fashion. Notably, this method enables the direct bis-functionalization of secondary amides with both nucleophiles and electrophiles for the first time, with simple derivatization leading to valuable free α-aminophosphonates by hydrolysis. The protocol has the advantages of operational simplicity, broad functional-group compatibility, environmental friendliness, and scalability to multigram quantities.