Unlocking ylide reactivity in the metal-catalyzed allylic substitution reaction: stereospecific construction of primary allylic amines with aza-ylides.

The transition metal catalyzed allylic amination represents a powerful and versatile cross-coupling for the asymmetric construction of stereogenic C-N bonds that are present in secondary metabolites and medicinally important agents. We have developed a regio- and enantiospecific rhodium-catalyzed allylic amination reaction using the aza-ylide derived from 1-aminopyridinium iodide. This investigation demonstrates the importance of the ylide-stabilizing group for obtaining the desired nucleophilicity and the ability to utilize the aza-ylide as a commercially available ammonia equivalent, which serves to illustrate the synthetic potential of this nucleophile for the preparation of primary amines. Overall, this work provides an opportunity to investigate the utility of this new class of nucleophiles in related metal-catalyzed reactions.