Palladium-Catalyzed Synthesis of Alkylated Amines from Aryl Ethers or Phenols

Synthesis of alkylated amines is an important and attractive task in organic chemistry. Herein, we demonstrate a general protocol to produce alkylated amines via the catalytic coupling of amines with aromatic ethers or phenols. This transformation is performed in the presence of a heterogeneous palladium catalyst, and the key to its success is the use of a Lewis acid (LA) co-catalyst. This method shows broad substrate scope and a variety of phenols, including lignin-derived fragments, can be converted to the desired products smoothly. Preliminary mechanistic investigations reveal that this straightforward domino transformation occurs via a hydrogenolysis/reduction/condensation/reduction process.