A Passion for Nitrogen – Amine Functionalization, Sustainable Chemistry, and Bioactive Natural Products

Basic nitrogen influences the reactivity of organic compounds in a characteristic fashion and stabilizes adjacent positive charges and unpaired electrons. It facilitates the insertion of metals into neighboring C–H bonds and even permits the formation of stabilized α-aminocarbanions. The application of these reactivity modes for synthesis and functionalization of heterocycles will be demonstrated. Moreover, sustainable approaches towards natural products and other chemicals based on the same principles will be presented.