Unprecedented cooperative DBU-CuCl2 catalysis for the incorporation of carbon dioxide into homopropargylic amines leading to 6-methylene-1,3-oxazin-2-ones

We report the first example of cooperative catalysis by DBU and CuCl2, which allows the carboxylation of homopropargylic amines to high value added 6-methylene-1,3-oxazin-2-ones. This reaction also represents the first efficient method for the catalytic incorporation of CO2 into an acyclic substrate to give oxazinones. DFT calculations are in agreement with a mechanism involving: a) deprotonation of the substrate by DBU; b) CO2 capture with formation of a copper carbamate; c) 6-exo-dig cyclization through intramolecular triple bond insertion; and d) protonolysis, with regeneration of DBU and CuCl2 catalysts. The structure of a representative product has been confirmed by XDR analysis.