Enzyme-catalyzed C(sp ³ )–H aminations for the highly enantioselective construction of chiral 2-oxazolidinones

As a rapidly growing field, C(sp³)-H functionalization is being used to access a wide range of important molecular targets. The enzymatic activity of C(sp³)-H is a powerful synthetic tool to develop valuable building blocks. In this study, engineered myoglobin variants were found to be capable of C(sp³)-H activation under mild conditions <i>via</i> mediated nitrene transfer. Using this approach, 2-oxazolidinones and γ-lactams with high enantioselectivity were obtained through intramolecular cyclization using readily available and stable <i>N</i>-acetoxyamides as substrates.