α-Trifluoromethylated tertiary homoallylic amines: diastereoselective synthesis and conversion into β-aminoesters, γ- and δ-aminoalcohols, azetidines and pyrrolidines.

The diastereoselective addition of allyl zinc and allylindium derivatives to α-trifluoromethyl N-tert-butanesulfinyl hemiaminals, bench stable precursors of aryl and alkyl trifluoromethyl ketimines, allows the synthesis of homoallylic amines containing a tetrasubstituted carbon stereocentre bearing a trifluoromethyl group with good diastereoselectivities (up to dr > 99 : 1). This approach was also suitable for accessing chiral homoallylic amines bearing two contiguous stereocenters. The synthetic usefulness of N-tert-butanesulfinyl homoallylamines was illustrated by preparing various trifluoromethylated nitrogen containing bifunctional synthons (aminoesters, aminoalcohols) and small azaheterocycles (azetidines, pyrrolidines).