Domino synthesis of 5-aminoimidazoles from Strecker multicomponent adducts via ytterbium-promoted isocyanide insertion/5-exo-dig cyclization

A new Lewis acid promoted domino isocyanide insertion/5-exo-dig cyclization of readily available Strecker 3-component adducts to 4-substituted 5-aminoimidazole derivatives is herein reported. Despite their potential as relevant heterocyclic scaffolds in medicinal chemistry programs, this class of compounds is still underrepresented, with current synthetic strategies poorly efficient in terms of timing and yields. To this end, we show how the exploitation of unconventional reactivities of isocyanides, promoted by ytterbium-triflate, could represent a key resource to enable a fast and easy access to such an unexplored area of the chemical space. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.]