SPECIALTOPIC	Synthesis 2005: 2075-2079   DOI: 10.1055/s-2005-870028
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York
Addition of Trialkylalanes to Imines under Zirconium Catalysis
Clément Denhez, Jean-Luc Vasse, Jan Szymoniak*
Réactions Sélectives et Applications, CNRS and Université de Reims, 51687 Reims Cedex 2, France Fax: +33(3)26913166; e-Mail: jan.szymoniak@univ-reims.fr;
Received 15 February 2005

Abstract

Trialkylalanes, which are inert toward imines, undergo addition to them in the presence of a catalytic amount of dichloro­dicyclopentadienylzirconium(IV) (Cp₂ZrCl₂). The reaction tolerates the presence of several functional groups in the starting imine such as halo, amide, nitrile, and hydroxy groups. A possible reaction pathway is proposed involving metallacyclic intermediates.

Key words

zirconium - catalysis - trialkylalanes - amine synthesis - imines