Enantioselective iridium-catalyzed allylic amination of ammonia and convenient ammonia surrogates

Org Lett. 2007 Sep 27;9(20):3949-52. doi: 10.1021/ol701562p. Epub 2007 Aug 29.

Abstract

Iridium-catalyzed, asymmetric allylation of ammonia as a nucleophile occurs with stereoselectivity to form a symmetric diallylamine, and related allylation of the inexpensive ammonia equivalent potassium trifluoroacetamide or the highly reactive ammonia equivalent lithium di-tert-butyliminodicarboxylate forms a range of conveniently protected, primary, alpha-branched allylic amines in high yields, high branched-to-linear regioselectivities, and high enantiomeric excess. The reactions of ammonia equivalents were conducted with a catalyst generated from a phosphoramidite containing a single stereochemical element.