Integrated Approach for Allyl Amine Synthesis Combining the Decarboxylative Coupling of Arylacrylic Acids with the Petasis Reaction

A metal-free multicomponent reaction strategy for synthesizing allyl amines through decarboxylative coupling combined with the Petasis reaction is described. Utilizing (<i>E</i>)-3-(2,4,6-trimethoxyphenyl)acrylic acid, various boronic acids, a formaldehyde solution, and primary amines, the method operates efficiently without metal catalysts. Investigations reveal that electron-donating substituents in cinnamic acid derivatives significantly enhance reactivity, which is crucial for effective transformations. Under the optimized conditions, yields of ≤78% were obtained across a diverse range of 30 allyl amines.