Fig. 1. Biomimetic 1,2-amino migration via photoredox catalysis.

a, The development of new organic methods is often inspired by enzymatic transformation. b, FG migratory transformation is a valuable but underdeveloped strategy for molecular modification, especially for late-stage functionalization. c, Regioisomers often pose quite different properties in drug discovery. d, One particular type of FG migratory transformation that intrigued us is 1,2-amino migration, when an amino group is translocated to its neighbouring location on an sp³ scaffold. Given the abundance of alkyl amines as feedstock reagents and their importance as synthetic building blocks, we believe that the chemical community could greatly benefit from such a method. However, to our knowledge, 1,2-amino migration has not yet been established as a practical technique in organic chemistry. Here we have developed a biomimetic photoredox-catalysed 1,2-amino migration method. This method was inspired by a LAM-catalysed α-lysine to β-lysine transformation. AA, amino acid; TPP, thiamine pyrophosphate; NHC, N-heterocyclic carbene; NMDA, N-methyl-d-aspartate; EC₅₀, half maximal effective concentration.