Hydrogen-Bond-Promoted Metal-Free Hydroamination of Alkynes

Abstract

An original metal-free regio- A nd stereoselective intermolecular hydroamination of alkynes is described. Various (E)-enamines were obtained from arylacetylenes and aliphatic secondary amines in the presence of ethylene glycol as a solvent. The latter is assumed to play a major role in the mechanism through hydrogen bonding and proton exchange.