An atom efficient route to N-aryl and N-alkyl pyrrolines by transition metal catalysis.

The synthesis of N-aryl, N-tosyl, and N-alkyl pyrrolines from allyl alcohols and amines has been developed. The reaction sequence includes a palladium-catalyzed allylation step in which non-manipulated allyl alcohol is used to generate the diallylated amine in good to excellent yield. An excess of allyl alcohol was necessary for efficient diallylation of the amine, where the excess alcohol could be recycled three times. For aryl and tosyl amines, Pd[P(OPh)(3)](4) was used and for benzyl and alkyl amines a catalytic system comprising Pd(OAc)(2), P(n)Bu(3), and BEt(3) was used. Both the electronic properties and the steric influence of the amine affected the efficiency of the allylation. The isolated diallylated amines were transformed into their corresponding pyrrolines by ring-closing metathesis catalyzed by (H(2)IMes)(PCy(3))Cl(2)RuCHPh in good to excellent yield. A one-pot reaction was developed in which aniline was transformed into the corresponding pyrroline without isolating the diallylated intermediate. This one-pot reaction was successfully scaled-up to 1 mL of aniline in which the N-phenyl pyrroline was isolated in 95% yield. The versatility of the reaction in which 3-methyl-1-phenyl pyrroline was prepared in two-steps was demonstrated.