Ruthenium-Catalyzed Ring-Opening Addition of Anilides to 7-Azabenzonorbornadienes: A Diastereoselective Route to Hydronaphthylamines

The ruthenium(II)-catalyzed direct ring-opening reaction of 7-azabenzonorbornadienes with anilides via C-H activation to access hydronaphthylamines has been developed. The transformation proceeds with a high stereoselectivity to give cis-configuration products under redox-neutral conditions.