Use of (Cyclopentadienone)iron Tricarbonyl Complexes for C-N Bond Formation Reactions between Amines and Alcohols

The application of a series of (cyclopentadienone)iron tricarbonyl complexes to borrowing hydrogen reactions between amines and alcohols was completed in order to assess their catalytic activity. The electronic variation of the aromatic groups flanking the C=0 of the cyclopentadienone influenced the efficiency of the reactions; however, in other cases, the Knolker catalyst 1, containing trimethylsilyl groups flanking the cyclopentadienone ketone, gave the best results. In some cases, the change of the ratio of amine to alcohol improves the conversion significantly. The application of iron catalysts to the synthesis of a range of amines, including unsaturated amines, was investigated.