Enantioselective synthesis of 2,5-dihydrobenzo[b]azepine derivatives via iridium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic amination with 2-allylanilines and ring-closing-metathesis reaction.

Iridium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic amination of allylic carbonates with 2-allylanilines was realized. With a catalyst generated from 2 mol% of [Ir(dbcot)Cl](2) (dbcot = dibenzo[a,e]cyclooctatetraene) and 4 mol% of phosphoramidite ligand (L3), the amination products were obtained in up to 99% yield and 99% ee. Subjecting amination products to trifluoroacetyl protection and ring-closing-metathesis reaction provided an efficient synthesis of enantioenriched 2,5-dihydrobenzo[b]azepine derivatives.