Mechanism of Boron-Catalyzed N-Alkylation of Amines with Carboxylic Acids.

Mechanistic study has been carried out on the B(C6F5)3-catalyzed amine alkylation with carboxylic acid. The reaction includes acid-amine condensation and amide reduction steps. In condensation step, the catalyst-free mechanism is found to be more favorable than the B(C6F5)3-catalyzed mechanism, because the automatic formation of the stable B(C6F5)3-amine complex deactivates the catalyst in the latter case. Meanwhile, the catalyst-free condensation is constituted by nucleophilic attack and the indirect H2O-elimination (with acid acting as proton shuttle) steps. After that, the amide reduction undergoes a Lewis acid (B(C6F5)3)-catalyzed mechanism rather than a Brønsted acid (B(C6F5)3-coordinated HCOOH)-catalyzed one. The B(C6F5)3)-catalyzed reduction includes twice silyl-hydride transfer steps, while the first silyl transfer is the rate-determining step of the overall alkylation catalytic cycle. The above condensation-reduction mechanism is supported by control experiments (on both temperature and substrates). Meanwhile, the predicted chemoselectivity is consistent with the predominant formation of the alkylation product (over disilyl acetal product).