A New One-Pot, Four-Component Synthesis of 1,2-Amino Alcohols: TiCl3/t-BuOOH-Mediated Radical Hydroxymethylation of Imines

An amine, an aldehyde, and methanol can be readily assembled in one pot under very mild conditions through a free-radical multicomponent reaction by using an aqueous acidic TiCl3/t-BuOOH system to afford 1,2-amino alcohols in fair to excellent yields.