P(PhCH(2)NCH(2)CH(2))(3)N: an efficient lewis base catalyst for the synthesis of propargylic alcohols and Morita-Baylis-Hillman adducts via aldehyde alkynylation.

Proazaphosphatrane P(PhCH(2)NCH(2)CH(2))(3)N (1a) is an efficient catalyst for the addition of aryl trimethylsilyl alkynes to a variety of aromatic, aliphatic, and heterocyclic aldehydes in THF at room temperature. The reaction conditions are mild and employ a low catalyst loading (ca. 5 mol %). Only propargylic alcohols were isolated in good to excellent isolated yields when electron-rich, electron-neutral, heterocyclic, and aliphatic aldehydes were employed, whereas beta-branched Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) type adducts were isolated with electron-deficient aromatic aldehydes after conventional acid hydrolysis of the TMS ether products. Alkynes containing heterocyclic and aromatic groups bearing electron-withdrawing or -donating substituents underwent clean addition to cyclohexanecarboxaldehyde and to electron-rich aromatic aldehydes to give propargylic alcohols in excellent isolated yields. beta-Branched Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) type adducts were isolated when electron-deficient aromatic aldehydes were employed. Reaction pathways to both types of products are proposed.