Stable radical cation salt initiated N–H insertion and related proton-transfer-delay three-component reaction

Abstract The N–H insertion reaction forms the single addition product exclusively, and does not require slow addition of the diazo component. More importantly, we present the reaction of anilines with both diazoacetates and azodicarboxylates in the presence of catalytic amounts of triarylaminium salt giving the corresponding complex unsymmetrical aminals in high yields. This is the first example of stable radical cation salt promoted proton-transfer-delay three-component reaction.