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The Wacker-Tsuji aerobic oxidation of various allyl(hetero)arenes under photocatalytic conditions to form the corresponding methyl ketones is presented. By using a palladium complex [PdCl2(MeCN)2] and the photosensitizer [Acr-Mes]ClO4 in aqueous medium and at room temperature, and by simple irradiation with blue led light, the desired carbonyl compounds were synthesized with high conversions (>80%) and excellent selectivities (>90%). The key process was the transient formation of Pd nanoparticles that can activate oxygen, thus recycling the Pd(II) species necessary in the Wacker oxidative reaction. While light irradiation was strictly mandatory, the addition of the photocatalyst improved the reaction selectivity, due to the formation of the starting allyl(hetero)arene from some of the obtained by-products, thus entering back in the Wacker-Tsuji catalytic cycle. Once optimized, the oxidation reaction was combined in a one-pot two-step sequential protocol with an enzymatic transformation. Depending on the biocatalyst employed, i. e. an amine transaminase or an alcohol dehydrogenase, the corresponding (R)- and (S)-1-arylpropan-2-amines or 1-arylpropan-2-ols, respectively, could be synthesized in most cases with high yields (>70%) and in enantiopure form. Finally, an application of this photo-metal-biocatalytic strategy has been demonstrated in order to get access in a straightforward manner to selegiline, an anti-Parkinson drug. (Figure presented.).

Direct and selective synthesis of primary amines from easily available precursors is attractive yet challenging. Herein, we report the rapid synthesis of primary amines from alkenes via metal-free regioselective hydroamination at room temperature. Ammonium carbonate was used as ammonia surrogate for the first time, allowing for efficient conversion of terminal and internal alkenes into linear, α-branched, and α-tertiary primary amines under mild conditions. This method provides a straightforward and powerful approach to a wide spectrum of advanced, highly functionalized primary amines which are of particular interest in pharmaceutical chemistry and other areas.

The primary objective of many researchers in chemical synthesis is the development of recyclable and easily accessible catalysts. These catalysts should preferably be made from Earth-abundant metals and have the ability to be utilised in the synthesis of pharmaceutically important compounds. Amines are classified as privileged compounds, and are used extensively in the fine and bulk chemical industries, as well as in pharmaceutical and materials research. In many laboratories and in industry, transition metal catalysed reductive amination of carbonyl compounds is performed using predominantly ammonia and H2. However, these reactions usually require precious metal-based catalysts or RANEY nickel, and require harsh reaction conditions and yield low selectivity for the desired products. Herein, we describe a simple and environmentally friendly method for the preparation of thin graphene spheres that encapsulate uniform Ni/NiO nanoalloy catalysts (Ni/NiO?C) using nickel citrate as the precursor. The resulting catalysts are stable and reusable and were successfully used for the synthesis of primary, secondary, tertiary, and N-methylamines (more than 62 examples). The reaction couples easily accessible carbonyl compounds (aldehydes and ketones) with ammonia, amines, and H2 under very mild industrially viable and scalable conditions (80 °C and 1 MPa H2 pressure, 4 h), offering cost-effective access to numerous functionalized, structurally diverse linear and branched benzylic, heterocyclic, and aliphatic amines including drugs and steroid derivatives. We have also demonstrated the scale-up of the heterogeneous amination protocol to gram-scale synthesis. Furthermore, the catalyst can be immobilized on a magnetic stirring bar and be conveniently recycled up to five times without any significant loss of catalytic activity and selectivity for the product.

We created a novel chimeric amine dehydrogenase (AmDH) via domain shuffling of two parent AmDHs ('L- and F-AmDH'), which in turn had been generated from leucine and phenylalanine DH, respectively. Unlike the parent proteins, the chimeric AmDH ('cFL-AmDH') catalyzes the amination of acetophenone to (R)-methylbenzylamine and adamantylmethylketone to adamantylethylamine.

Both enantiomers of several phenylethylamines, structurally related to amphetamine, have been prepared in good yields and excellent enantiomeric purity by enzymatic kinetic resolution using CAL-B and ethyl methoxyacetate as the acyl donor. In the case of the 4-hydroxyderivative of amphetamine (compound 4i), the S enantiomer racemized possibly in a dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) under the enzymatic conditions used. The Royal Society of Chemistry 2011.

It has been reported that among drugs with mixed actions on central nervous system monoamine systems, increased serotonergic activity is associated with decreased potency as a reinforcer. The present experiment was designed to examine this relationship for amphetamine analogs that varied in serotonin releasing potency and to evaluate whether serotonergic actions can affect reinforcing efficacy. Compounds PAL 313 and 314 are para- and meta-methylamphetamine, respectively. PAL 303 and 353 are para- and meta-fluoroamphetamine, respectively. All compounds had similar potencies as in vitro releasers of dopamine (DA) and norepinephrine (NE) but differed in potency for 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin) (5-HT) release [EC50 (nanomolar) PAL 313 = 53.4; PAL 314 = 218; PAL 303 = 939; PAL 353 = 1937]. When made available to rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) (n = 4) for self-administration under a fixed-ratio 25 schedule, all were positive reinforcers with biphasic dose-response functions (0.003-1.0 mg/kg) and were equipotent. PAL 313 was self-administered at a lower rate than the other compounds, which were indistinguishable. Under a progressive-ratio schedule (n = 5), all drugs were positive reinforcers. Dose-response functions increased to a maximum or were biphasic (0.01-1.0 mg/kg), and drugs were equipotent. At maximum, PAL 313 maintained less responding than ther PAL drugs, which maintained similar maxima. Thus, all compounds were positive reinforcers under both schedules, consistent with their potent DA actions. Responding was lower when 5-HT potency was higher and comparable with DA and NE potency. The results suggest that the mechanism for this effect involves a decrease in reinforcing potency and efficacy among monoamine releasing agents when 5-HT releasing potency is increased relative to DA.

An efficient, general procedure for highly chemoselective reductive mono-alkylation of ammonia with ketones is reported. Treatment of ketones with ammonia in ethanol and titanium(IV) isopropoxide, followed by in situ sodium borohydride reduction, and a straightforward workup afforded primary amines in good to excellent yields. Reductive alkylation of ammonia with aldehydes, on the other hand, afforded the corresponding symmetrical secondary amines selectively.

(R)-(-)- and (S)-(+)-α-methyl-β-4-(fluorophenyl)-N-methyl-N-propynylethylamine ((R)-(-)- and (S)-(+)-4-fluorodeprenyl) were synthesized via the reaction of 4-fluorobenzaldehyde with nitroethane followed by reduction with lithium aluminum hydride to produce racemic 4-fluoroamphetamine, which was resolved by recrystallization with L- or D-N-acetylleucine to yield (R)-(-)-4-fluoroamphetamine or (S)-(+)-4-fluoroamphetamine in >96% enantiomeric excesses and in yields of 42 and 39%, respectively. Alkylation with propargyl bromide gave (R)-(-)- or (S)-(+)-4-fluoronordeprenyl which was reductively methylated (Borch conditions) to produce (R)-(-)- or (S)-(+)-4-fluorodeprenyl. Alkylation of (R)-(-)- or (S)-(+)-4-fluoronordeprenyl with carbon-11 labeled methyl iodide gave (R)-(-)- or (S)-(+)-[N-11C-methyl]-4-fluorodeprenyl in a radiochemical yield of 30-40%. Comparative PET studies of the two labeled enantiomers in baboons showed a significantly lower retention of radioactivity in the striatum for the (S)-(+) enantiomer relative to the (R)-(-) enantiomer.