Sn(OTf)2 catalysed regioselective styrene oxide ring opening with aromatic amines

Sn(OTf)₂ is an efficient and versatile catalyst for the highly regioselective opening of styrene oxide with aromatic amines, which allowed for the preparation of fourteen 2-arylamino-2-phenylethanols, some of them described here for the first time (6g, 6i, 6j, 6k and 6m). Sn(OTf)₂ also catalyses the opening of styrene oxide with aliphatic amines in moderate to high yields but with a lower degree of regioselectivity. 2-Akylamino-1-phenylethanols are the predominant products when moderate to high regioselectivity is observed (compounds 4b, 4c and 4d). This is the first report of the use of Sn(OTf)₂ to catalyse the opening of an epoxide by aliphatic amines.