Palladium‐Catalyzed C–N Bond Activation: The Synthesis of β‐Amino Acid Derivatives from Triethylamine and Acrylates

In the palladium‐catalyzed reaction of acrylates, C–N bond activation and acetalization occurred under different conditions. Described herein is a highly efficient palladium‐catalyzed C–N bond activation reaction and subsequent new C–N bond formation to directly construct β‐amino acids from triethylamine and acrylate esters in isolated yields of up to 95 %.(© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2007)