Aerobic oxidative amination of unactivated alkenes catalyzed by palladium.

The first examples of palladium-catalyzed oxidative amination of unactivated alkyl olefins have been identified. To be successful, these reactions must be conducted under cocatalyst-free conditions that involve direct dioxygen-coupled turnover of the palladium catalyst. The oxidative amination products of norbornene and other cyclic alkenes implicate a cis-aminopalladation mechanism.

Formation of enamides via palladium(II)-catalyzed vinyl transfer from vinyl ethers to nitrogen nucleophiles.

Palladium(II) complexes catalyze the formation of enamides via the formal cross-coupling reaction between nitrogen nucleophiles and vinyl ethers. These vinyl transfer reactions proceed in good yields with amide, carbamate, and sulfonamide nucleophiles, and the optimal catalyst is (DPP)Pd(OCOCF(3))(2) (DPP = 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline). [reaction: see text]