A mild procedure for the Lewis acid-catalyzed ring-opening of activated cyclopropanes with amine nucleophiles

The Lewis acid-catalyzed ring-opening of methyl 1-nitrocyclopropanecarboxylates with amine nucleophiles is described. The reaction proceeds at room temperature and with complete preservation of the enantiomeric purity from the electrophilic center of the cyclopropane to the acyclic product. The methodology was applied in an enantioselective synthesis of the dual serotonin/norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (3R)-3-(1H-indol-1-yl)-N-methyl-3-phenylpropan-1-amine.