An iron-mediated bromination/cyclization for the synthesis of bromobenzoxazines from
olefinic amides has been successfully developed. In this protocol, the simple iron
salt FeBr3 was employed as a bromination reagent, giving the bromobenzoxazine products in moderate
to excellent yields. This methodology features good functional group tolerance, gram-scale
synthesis, and green reaction conditions by the use of air as the terminal oxidant.
Preliminary mechanistic studies suggest that a free radical pathway is involved.
Key words
benzoxazines - bromination - iron salts - aerobic oxidation - molecular oxygen