Directing Group in Decarboxylative Cross-Coupling: Copper-Catalyzed Site-Selective C–N Bond Formation from Nonactivated Aliphatic Carboxylic Acids

Copper-catalyzed directed decarboxylative amination of nonactivated aliphatic carboxylic acids is described. This intramolecular C–N bond formation reaction provides efficient access to the synthesis of pyrrolidine and piperidine derivatives as well as the modification of complex natural products. Moreover, this reaction presents excellent site-selectivity in the C–N bond formation step through the use of directing group. Our work can be considered as a big step toward controllable radical decarboxylative carbon–heteroatom cross-coupling.