Selective N, N-dimethylation of primary aromatic amines with methyl alkyl carbonates in the presence of phosphonium salts

…, A Perosa, P Tundo, D Brunelli

Index: Selva, Maurizio; Perosa, Alvise; Tundo, Pietro; Brunelli, Davide Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2006 , vol. 71, # 15 p. 5770 - 5773

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Citation Number: 38

Abstract

In the presence of onium salts, at 140-170° C, methyl alkyl carbonates [1a-c, ROCO2Me, R= MeO (CH2) 2 [O (CH2) 2] n; n= 2-0, respectively] react with primary aromatic amines (XC6H4NH2, X= p-OMe, p-Me, H, p-Cl, p-CO2Me, o-Et, and 2, 3-Me2C6H3NH2) to yield the corresponding N, N-dimethyl derivatives (ArNMe2) with high selectivity (up to 96%) and good isolated yields (78-95%). Phosphonium salts (eg, Ph3PEtI and n-Bu4PBr) are ...