A Novel Use of Grubbs' Carbene. Application to the Catalytic Deprotection of Tertiary Allylamines

Abstract

[reaction--see text] The first examples accounting for the catalytic deprotection of allylic amines by using reagents different from palladium catalysts have been achieved via Grubbs' carbene-mediated reaction. The current mechanistic hypothesis invokes a nitrogen-assisted ruthenium-catalyzed isomerization, followed by hydrolysis of the enamine intermediate. We believe that an unprecedented mode of ring opening of the ruthenacyclobutane was involved.