Palladium-Catalyzed N-Arylation of Cyclopropylamines

A general method has been developed for the previously challenging arylation of cyclopropylamine and N-arylcyclopropylamines. Highly active, air-stable, and commercially available R-allylpalladium precatalysts provide access to a wide range of (hetero)arylated cyclopropylanilines in high yields. Precatalysts [(tBuBrettPhos)Pd(allyl)]OTf and [(BrettPhos)Pd(crotyl)]OTf, deliver monoarylated products, while (PtBu3)Pd(crotyl)Cl is suited for preparing unsymmetrical diarylated products. The developed conditions tolerate a range of functional groups and heterocycles, allowing access to an array of arylated cyclopropylamines, a motif present in prominent drug molecules.