Ruthenium-Catalyzed Intermolecular Hydroamination of Terminal Alkynes with Anilines: A Practical Synthesis of Aromatic Ketimines

Without solvent and in the open air, the hydroamination of phenylacetylene with aniline in the presence of Ru(3)(CO)(12)]/NH(4)PF(6) proceeds with high regioselectivity Eq. (1)]. Simple distillation gives a product with greater than 99 % purity in an excellent yield. The application of this method to a new two-component reaction gives the important class of substances: the quinolines.