Dynamic Kinetic Asymmetric Amination of Alcohols Assisted by Microwave: Stereoconvergent Access to Tetralin- and Indane-Derived Chiral Amines

Herein, we report microwave-assisted catalytic enantioselective amination of tetralin- and Indane-derived alcohols to produce the corresponding chiral amines that are important structural motifs in numerous biologically active entities. By the use of an iridium/phosphoric acid cooperative catalytic system, a range of easily accessible alcohol substrates, as a mixture of four stereoisomers, can be converted in a convergent fashion to the valuable alpha-branched chiral amines with good to high diastereo- and enantioselectivity. Systematic DFT calculations on the catalytic reaction have also been performed, which provide a complete picture of the pathways as well as the origin of diastereo- and enantioselectivity for this dynamic kinetic asymmetric amination of alcohols.