Use of (Cyclopentadienone)iron Tricarbonyl Complexes for C–N Bond Formation Reactions between Amines and Alcohols

The
application of a series of (cyclopentadienone)iron tricarbonyl
complexes to “borrowing hydrogen” reactions between
amines and alcohols was completed in order to assess their catalytic
activity. The electronic variation of the aromatic groups flanking
the CO of the cyclopentadienone influenced the efficiency
of the reactions; however, in other cases, the Knölker catalyst 1, containing trimethylsilyl groups flanking the cyclopentadienone
ketone, gave the best results. In some cases, the change of the ratio
of amine to alcohol improves the conversion significantly. The application
of iron catalysts to the synthesis of a range of amines, including
unsaturated amines, was investigated.