Oxazolines. 2. 2-Substituted 2-Oxazolines as Synthons for N-(β-Hydroxyethyl)arylalkylamines, Intermediates in a Synthesis of 1,2,3,4-Tetrahydroisoquinolines and 2,3,4,5-Tetrahydro-1H-3-Benzazepines

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/jo00132a001

2-(Arylalkyl)-2-oxazolines 4 (n = 1) and 2-aryl-2-oxazolines 4 (n = 0), the latter prepared in a novel reaction by cross-coupling aryl Grignard reagents with 2-(methylthio)-5-phenyl-2-oxazoline (10) and using <1,1'-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene>palladium(II) chloride (14) as a catalyst, were reduced in a previously unreported reaction by diborane in refluxing THF to yield N-(β- hyroxyethyl)arylalkylamines 5 (n = 1,2).Amino alcohols 5 were cyclized to their respective heterocyclic derivatives 6 (n = 1,2) by treatment with H2SO4/TFA in refluxing methylene chloride.This paper disscuses how 2-substituted 2-oxazolines may be used to prepare1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines 6 (n = 1) and 2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-3-benzazepines 6 (n = 2) via amino alcohols 5.