Decarboxylative Organocatalytic Allylic Amination of Morita-Baylis-Hillman Carbamates.

The present study reports the organocatalytic enantioselective allylic amination of Morita-Baylis-Hillman carbamates efficiently catalyzed by a chiral amine in the presence of a Brønsted acid. Chiral allylic amines were produced in high yields (up to 98 %) and enantioselectivities (up to 97 % ee). This method provides an efficient and easily performed route to prepare α-methylene-β-lactams, and other optically active β-lactams, such as the cholesterol-lowering drug Ezetimibe.