Patent ID: 8143451

Claim:
A method of preparing an amine of the formula Ia and/or Ib comprising reacting a compound of formula II with a compound of formula III: wherein R 1 and R 2 are independently selected from C 1-20 alkyl, C 1-20 alkoxy, C 2-20 alkenyl, C 3-20 cycloalkyl, C 3-20 cycloalkoxy, aryl, aryloxy, heteroaryl and heteroaryloxy, all of which are optionally substituted and one or more of the carbons in C 1-20 alkyl, C 1-20 alkoxy, C 2-20 alkenyl, C 3-20 cycloalkyl and C 3-20 cycloalkoxy, is optionally replaced with a heteromoiety selected from 0, S, N, NR 10 and NR 10 R 11 ; or R 1 and R 2 are linked to form an optionally substituted monocyclic or polycyclic ring system having 4 to 20 atoms including the carbonyl to which R 1 and R 2 are bonded, and one or more of the carbons of the ring system is optionally replaced with a heteromoiety selected from O, S, N, NR 10 and NR 10 R 11 ; R 3 to R 7 are independently selected from H, C 1-20 alkyl, C 1-20 alkoxy, C 2-20 alkenyl, C 3-20 cycloalkyl, C 3-20 cycloalkoxy, aryl, aryloxy, heteroaryl and heteroaryloxy, the latter 9 groups being optionally substituted and one or more of the carbons in C 1-20 alkyl, C 1-20 alkoxy, C 2-20 alkenyl, C 3-20 cycloalkyl and C 3-20 cycloalkoxy, is optionally replaced with a heteromoiety selected from O, S, N, NR 10 and NR 10 R 11 ; R 8 and R 9 are independently selected from H, C 1-20 alkyl, C 3-20 cycloalkyl, aryl and heteroaryl, the latter 4 groups being optionally substituted; or R 8 and R 9 are linked to form an optionally substituted monocyclic or polycyclic ring system having 4 to 20 atoms, including the B and O atoms to which R 8 and R 9 are bonded; R 10 and R 11 are independently selected from H, C 1-20 alkyl, C 3-20 cycloalkyl, aryl and heteroaryl, the latter 4 groups being optionally substituted, in the presence of ammonia NH 3 or an ammonia equivalent of the formula NH 4 + X − , wherein X is an anionic ligand, wherein the amine of the formula Ia and/or Ib is produced in a yield of 50% or more.