Enzymatic C(sp³)‑H Amination: P450-Catalyzed Conversion of Carbonazidates into Oxazolidinones

Abstract

Cytochrome P450 enzymes can effectively promote the activation and cyclization of carbonazidate substrates to yield oxazolidinones via an intramolecular nitrene C–H insertion reaction. Investigation of the substrate scope shows that while benzylic/allylic C–H bonds are most readily aminated by these biocatalysts, stronger, secondary C–H bonds are also accessible to functionalization. Leveraging this “non-native” reactivity and assisted by fingerprint-based predictions, improved active-site variants of the bacterial P450 CYP102A1 could be identified to mediate the aminofunctionalization of two terpene natural products with high regio- and stereoselectivity. Mechanistic studies and KIE experiments show that the C–H activation step in these reactions is rate-limiting and proceeds in a stepwise manner, namely, via hydrogen atom abstraction followed by radical recombination. This study expands the reactivity scope of P450-based catalysts in the context of nitrene transfer transformations and provides first-time insights into the mechanism of P450-catalyzed C–H amination reactions