Petasis Boronic Mannich Reactions of Electron-Poor Aromatic Amines under Microwave Conditions

The Petasis reaction of electron-poor aromatic amines such as aminopyridines under microwave irradiation conditions is described. The process provides rapid access to a number of unnatural N-aryl-α-amino acids. The influence of the electronic demand of the boronic acids on the yields is discussed. A comparison with conventional heating is provided.