P. C. Andrews et al. / Tetrahedron Letters 45 (2004) 243–248
247
iminium salt via the addition of 1.5 equiv of MeI to
N-benzylidene aniline at 50 ꢁC in toluene for 24 h under
an inert atmosphere. This resulted in the formation of the
corresponding iminium salt in a 67% yield. The possi-
bility of the bis-allylated species arising from the reaction
of unreacted allyl bromide and 1 after hydrolysis was
discounted by the in vacuo removal of any excess allyl
bromide prior to the aqueous quench, which still resulted
in significant yields of the bis-allylated product.
under an atmosphere of argon. This was allowed to
sonicate for 12 h, which resulted in the complete con-
sumption of gallium metal and the formation of a dark
2
yellow oil. The reaction was then quenched with H O
(ca. 0.5 mL) and allowed to sonicate for a further
15 min. The reaction mixture was extracted with diethyl
ether (3 · 15 mL), with the combined organic layers
4
being dried over MgSO . This was then purified by
Kugelrohr distillation under high vacuum to afford the
desired homoallylic secondary amine as a clear yellow
oil. The spectral data of this compound was consistent
Why is no bis-allylated product formed when gallium
metal is used? This is still an intriguing question and one
we are still attempting to understand. One possibility is
that the allyl gallium halide species forms at a much
faster rate than the iminium salt thus producing the
homoallylic secondary amine. This would imply that
although the two metals have similar first ionisation
potentials, insertion of gallium into a carbon halogen
bond in forming the reactive allyl metal halide species,
and its subsequent reaction with the unsaturated bond,
is significantly more facile than the corresponding pro-
cess for indium. Another possible process could be that
gallium in some way deactivates the N towards allyla-
tion through complexation or that the allyl bromide is
bound up by the organogallium species in a way that
does not occur with indium. The similarity in the
chemical behaviours of the two metals makes these
explanations, at first sight, counter-intuitive and so is
the target of further investigation.
26
with data that had been previously reported.
6.1.3. Synthesis of allylphenyl-(1-phenyl-but-3-enyl)-
amine. To a mixture of 0.32 g of indium metal
(2.7 mmol) and 0.50 g of benzylidene aniline (2.7 mmol),
1.5 equiv of allyl bromide (4.5 mmol) was added drop-
wise under an atmosphere of argon. This was allowed to
sonicate for 12 h, which resulted in the complete con-
sumption of indium metal and the formation of a dark
yellow oil. The reaction was then quenched with H O
2
(ca. 0.5 mL) and allowed to sonicate for a further
15 min. The reaction mixture was extracted with diethyl
ether (3 · 15 mL), with the combined organic layers
being dried over MgSO . This was then purified by flash
4
chromatography on silica, using 10:1 hexane–ethyl ace-
tate on silica gel, to give the bis-allylated product as a
clear yellow oil in 28% yield. Spectral data of this
compound was in agreement with data that had been
27
previously reported for this compound.
6. Experimental
Reactions employing sonication were performed in the
Transtek Systems, Soniclean 80T model. This sonicator
runs at 240 V with and operating frequency of 50–60 Hz.
GC–MS data were obtained on the Aligent 6890 Series
GC Systems and the Aligent 5973 Network Mass
Selective Detector. Aliquots of the samples (1 lL) were
injected, with inlets having a split ratio of 25:1. Helium
gas was employed at a pressure set at 7.16 psi and flow
rate 26.6 mL/min. The installed column was the HP-
5MS 5% phenyl methyl siloxane with a capillary size of
30.0 m · 250 lm · 0.25 lm. The oven setpoint was 60 ꢁC
(held for 3 min) increasing at a rate of 10 ꢁC/min to the
6
6
.1. Typical procedures
.1.1. Synthesis of 1-phenyl-3-buten-1-ol. In a Schlenk
flask under a nitrogen atmosphere, a suspension of
mmol (0.35 g) of gallium metal and 5 mmol (0.53 g) of
5
benzaldehyde, was allowed to stir rapidly. To this sus-
pension 7.5 mmol (0.91 g) of allyl bromide was added
and allowed to react via sonication for 12 h, resulting in
the production of a brown oil and the complete con-
sumption of the gallium metal. This was then quenched
with 0.5 mL of H O. The reaction mixture was then
2
extracted with 3 · 10 mL of diethyl ether, with the
ethereal layers being combined and dried over MgSO .
1
endpoint of 280 ꢁC. H NMR spectra of compounds
3
were recorded in CDCl on the Varian Mercury 300 at
4
The solution was then filtered and reduced under
reduced pressure, to give a colourless oil. The homoal-
lylic alcohol was isolated by flash chromatography on
silica gel using a 10:1 ratio of hexane to ethyl acetate in
400 MHz. Infra-red spectra were obtained on a Perkin–
Elmer 1600 FTIR.
Acknowledgements
97% yield. Spectral data of this compound was in
accordance with that previously reported.
25
We thank the Centre for Green Chemistry at Monash
University and the Australian Research Council for
their financial support.
6
.1.2. Synthesis of phenyl-(1-phenyl-but-3-enyl)-amine.
To a mixture of 0.11 g of gallium metal (1.6 mmol) and
.28 g of benzylidene aniline (1.6 mmol), 1.5 equiv of
0
allyl bromide (0.29 g/2.4 mmol) was added dropwise
References and Notes
1
. Andrews, P. C.; Peatt, A. C.; Raston, C. L. Green Chem.
2001, 3, 313–315.
1
Recrystallised from toluene in 67% yield. H NMR (benzene-d
6
,
3
0 ꢁC, 300 MHz) d 8.38 (1H, s, CH), 7.18 (10H, m, aromatic H), 0.45
2. Andrews, P. C.; Peatt, A. C.; Raston, C. L. Tetrahedron
Lett. 2002, 43, 7541–7543.
(3H, s, –CH ).
3