Hydroamination versus Allylic Amination in Iridium-Catalyzed Reactions of Allylic Acetates with Amines: 1,3-Aminoalcohols via Ester-Directed Regioselectivity

In the presence of a neutral dppf-modified iridium catalyst and Cs2CO3, linear allylic acetates react with primary amines to form products of hydroamination with complete 1,3-regioselectivity. The collective data, including deuterium labeling studies, corroborate a catalytic mechanism involving rapid, reversible acetate-directed aminoiridation with inner-sphere/outer-sphere crossover followed by turnover-limiting proto-demetalation mediated by amine.