Palladium-Catalyzed Chemoselective Synthesis of 2-Aminocinnamyl Esters via Sequential Amination and Olefination of Aryl Iodides.

We report a highly chemoselective palladium-catalyzed Catellani-type amination of aryl iodides terminated by the Heck reaction using allylic esters as terminating reagents. 2-Aminocinnamyl esters were formed exclusively via β-H elimination rather than β-OAc elimination without the assistance of a silver salt. This protocol represents a useful extension of Catellani-type transformations.