Palladium-Catalyzed Aerobic Oxidative Hydroamination of Vinylarenes Using Anilines: A Wacker-Type Amination Pathway

A palladium-catalyzed intermolecular hydroamination of vinylarene derivatives using anilines has been developed for the first time under aerobic conditions, where the regioselective formation of N-arylketimines is accomplished. The current aerobic oxidative hydroamination pathway of anilines is distinct from that of palladium catalyzed hydroamination reactions that proceed to give sec-arylethylamine and arylethylamine derivatives, identifying a longstanding missing reaction pathway, Wacker-type amination, to N-arylketimines using anilines. The ready availability of both starting materials, vinylarenes and anilines, offers an attractive and facile synthetic route to N-arylketimines in good to excellent yields.