UC Berkeley

We report an approach to conducting the hydroaminomethylation of diverse α-olefins with a wide range of alkyl, aryl, and heteroarylamines at relatively low temperatures (70-80 °C) and pressures (1.0-3.4 bar) of synthesis gas. This approach is based on simultaneously using two distinct catalysts that are mutually compatible. The hydroformylation step is catalyzed by a rhodium diphosphine complex, and the reductive amination step, which is conducted as a transfer hydrogenation with aqueous, buffered sodium formate as the reducing agent, is catalyzed by a cyclometallated iridium complex. By adjusting the ratio of CO to H₂ , we conducted the reaction at one atmosphere of gas with little change in yield. A diverse array of olefins and amines, including hetreroarylamines that do not react under more conventional conditions with a single catalyst, underwent hydroaminomethylation with this new system, and the pharmaceutical ibutilide was prepared in higher yield and under milder conditions than with a single catalyst.