Solvent-free Al(OTf)3-catalyzed aminolysis of 1,2-epoxides by 2-picolylamine:: A key step in the synthesis of ionic liquids

beta-Amino alcohols N-2'-pyridylmethyl substituted 3 have been prepared in excellent yields under mild conditions by the first Lewis acid-catalyzed aminolysis of 1,2-epoxides 1 with the bihaptic amine 2-picolylamine (2) with use of 5 mol % of Al(OTf)3 under solvent-free conditions. As a representative of a new class of ionic liquids, cis-5[(4'-methylphenyl)sulfonyl]-1,2,3,4,4a,5,6,11a-octahydropyrido[1,2-alpha]quinoxalin-11-ium methanesulfonate (6) and its chloride derivative 7 have been synthesized under environmentally friendly conditions by the one-pot aminolysis of cyclohexene oxide (1a) with 2 and intramolecular cyclization of the resulting 2-[(pyridin-2'-yl)methylamino]cyclohexanol (3a).