First evidence for the use of polyamines as nucleophiles in a regioselective palladium-catalyzed allylic amination reaction

Palladium-catalyzed reaction of unsymmetrical allylic electrophiles with polyamines gives rise to regioisomeric allylic polyamines. An original catalytic procedure providing an efficient method for the regioselective synthesis of new classes of polyamino derivatives of biological interest is reported. Based on experimental considerations, a mechanistic rationale involving a thermodynamically controlled isomerization of the initially formed branched product is proposed to account for the total regioselectivity observed.