Direct Catalytic Synthesis of Unprotected 2-Amino-1-Phenylethanols from Alkenes by Using Iron(II) Phthalocyanine.

Aryl-substituted amino alcohols are privileged scaffolds in medicinal chemistry and natural products. Herein, we report that an exceptionally simple and inexpensive Fe(II) complex efficiently catalyzes the direct transformation of simple alkenes into unprotected amino alcohols in good yield and perfect regioselectivity. This new catalytic method was applied in the expedient synthesis of bioactive molecules and could be extended to aminoetherification.