A one-pot aza-Wittig based solution and polymer supported route to amines

This paper presents a high yielding one-pot solution phase and polymer supp orted synthesis of a range of primary and secondary amines starting from az ides and aldehydes. The synthesis utilises a tandem process which begins wi th an aza-Wittig reaction between the aldehyde and an iminophosphorane, fol lowed by reduction, or organometallic 1,2-addition reaction, of the resulta nt imine. The requisite iminophosphoranes were accessed using the highly ef ficient Staudinger reaction between the azide starting material and a phosp hine. The process was applicable to the solid phase by the use of polymer s upported iminophosphoranes and polymer supported cyanoborohydride.