Carbon monoxide as a building block in organic synthesis IV. Direct preparation of amines from alkenes by aminomethylation catalysed by dinuclear rhodium complexes

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/0022-328X(93)80402-W

The one-pot aminomethylation reaction has been performed under low pressures of carbon monoxide and hydrogen in the presence of the complex tBu)2(CO)2(PPh3)2>.This reaction involves the successive hydroformylation of the alkene, the condensation of the aldehyde produced in the first step with the amine, and the hydrogenation of the imine or enamine thus obtained.This last hydrogenation step is rate-determining.At 1.8 MPa, oct-1-ene was transformed with 99percent conversion, giving 80percent diethylnonylamine, 2percent of the iso-compound and 13percent methyl-2-octanal, which is more resistant to the condensation with diethylamine and further hydrogenation.