The use of samarium or sodium iodide salts as an alternative for the aza-Henry reaction

Abstract A novel reaction of bromonitromethane with a variety of imines in very mild conditions promoted by SmI 2 and NaI to afford nitroamines or bromonitroamines is described. When these reactions were performed on sugar-based imines, the corresponding nitroamines or bromonitroamines were obtained in high yields and from moderate to good stereoselectivities. Synthetic possibilities of nitroamines were also shown by their reduction with SmI 2 /H 2 O in the presence of pyrrolidine at room temperature. A mechanism is proposed for this novel aza-Henry reaction.