Aluminum Triflate as a Powerful Catalyst for Direct Amination of Alcohols, Including Electron-Withdrawing Group-Substituted Benzhydrols

Direct aminations of allylic alcohols, benzylic alcohols, and benzhydrols with electron-withdrawing (F, Br, I, NO2, or CN) substituents were efficiently catalyzed by aluminum triflate [Al(OTf)3] to afford the corresponding biarylamines in high yield, and the dibromo-substituted product was further transformed into letrozole.