Amine-catalyzed metal-free deamination of propargylamines with water toward chalcones

Abstract

A non-metal catalyzed deamination of propargylamines was achieved by using DBU as the catalyst and water as the carbonyl oxygen atom source. The role of DBU was found to promote the alkyne-allene isomerization process, followed by the hydrolysis to access a wide range of chalcones in good to excellent yields. This newly developed strategy features metal-free, good functional group compatibility, mild conditions, and operational simplicity.