N-Triflyl Phosphoric Triamide (N-TPT) as an Efficient Activator for ‘On-Water’ Accelerated Aquacatalytic Polar Substrate Allylation

The development of sustainable, functional-group-tolerant catalysis is highly significant from the perspectives of safety, user-friendliness, and cost-effectiveness. We report herein the triple hydrogen-bonding donor activator N-triflyl phosphoric triamide ( N-TPT) for the synergistic Brønsted acid aquacatalysis of multicomponent allylation ‘on-water’. The reaction demonstrated remarkable efficiency in converting polar diol substrate, such as 1,3-dihydroxyacetone, into α-tertiary amine derivative incorporating homoallylic amine functionalities using bulk water as the reaction medium. The single crystal X-ray structure and control experiments highlighted the crucial role of multiple hydrogen bonds in enabling this aqueous reaction.