Oxa-Michael Addition to α,β-Unsaturated Nitriles: An Expedient Route to γ-Amino Alcohols and Derivatives.

Abstract

Water addition to α,β‐unsaturated nitriles would give facile access to the β‐hydroxy‐nitriles, which in turn can be hydrogenated to the γ‐amino alcohols. We have previously shown that alcohols readily add in 1,4‐fashion to these substrates using Milstein's Ru(PNN) pincer complex as catalyst. However, attempted water addition to α,β‐unsaturated nitriles gave the 3‐hydroxynitriles in mediocre yields. On the other hand, addition of benzyl alcohol proceeded in excellent yields for a variety of β‐substituted unsaturated nitriles. Subsequent treatment of the benzyl alcohol addition products with TMSCl/FeCl3 resulted in the formation of 3‐hydroxy‐alkylnitriles. The 3‐benzyloxy‐alkylnitriles obtained from oxa‐Michael addition also could be hydrogenated directly in the presence of acid to give the amino alcohols as their HCl salts in excellent yields. Hydrogenation under neutral conditions gave a mixture of the secondary and tertiary amines. Hydrogenation in the presence of base and Boc‐anhydride gave the orthogonally bis‐protected amino alcohols, in which the benzyl ether can subsequently be cleaved to yield Boc‐protected amino alcohols. Thus, a variety of molecular scaffolds with a 1,3‐relationship between O‐ and N‐functional group is accessible starting from oxa‐Michael addition of benzyl alcohol to α,β‐unsaturated nitriles.