Diastereoselective Synthesis of Tetrasubstituted Propargylamines via Hydroamination and Metalation of 1-Alkynes and Their Enantioselective Conversion to Trisubstituted Chiral Allenes

Reaction of cyclic secondary amines with 1-alkynes and copper(I) chloride at 110-120 degrees C gives the corresponding alkynylcopper complex, which adds to the iminium ion intermediate formed in situ by hydroamination of 1-alkynes to give the corresponding propargylamine derivatives in up to 94% yield and 99% regioselectivity. The diastereomerically pure chiral propargylamines were obtained in 23-89% yield using optically active 2-benzyl morpholine and N-methyl camphanyl piperazine. These chiral propargylamines are readily converted to the corresponding trisubstitued chiral allenes in 71-89% yields with up to 99% ee upon reaction with ZnBr2 at 120 degrees C. The results are discussed considering mechanisms involving diastereoselective addition of alkynylcopper complex formed in situ to iminium ions formed in situ regioselectively to produce the corresponding propargylamines, which in turn give the chiral allenes with very high enantioselectivity via an intramolecular 1,5-hydrogen shift in the presence of zinc bromide.