Palladium catalyzed intermolecular allylic amination

Scheme 12.8 Palladium catalyzed intermolecular allylic amination.

Based on early mechanistic experiments, we propose that aminoester 139 and palladium(II)-n-allyl conplex 140 establish an unfavorable equilibrium with palladium(0) and ammonium salt 141 (Scheme 1 S.3ST As soon as this unstable ammonium intermediate is formed, it undergoes a rapid deprotonation to generate ammonium ylide 142, which is transformed into the observed [2,3]-rearrangement product 143 through an exo transition state. An unfavorable equilibrium for the palladium-catalyzed ammonium salt formation, in conjunction with the facile conversion of ammonium salts into the [2,3]-rearrangement products, could explain the difficulty in observing any ammonium intermediates. This mechanistic proposal also accounts for why catalytic intermolecular allylic amination with tertiary amines has never been reported before. 

A series of l-benzazepin-5-ones were furnished via a rhodium-catalyzed intermolecular hydroacylation of an allyl amine onto an aryl aldehyde (14AGE3688) while a one-step synthesis of a number of tetrahydro-3-benzazepines was achieved through the palladium-mediated reaction of phenylethylamines with allenes (14JOC9578). 

Other similar palladium-catalyzed and intramolecular allylic oxidation reactions using tethered O- and A(-nucleophiles in conjunction with molecular oxygen (as a reoxidant) have been described. These provide a range of ring-fused heterocycles in good to excellent yield (eq 76). Related intermolecular amination reactions have also been described. ... 

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