Practical syntheses of enantiomerically pure N-acetylbenzhydrylamines

Two practical routes for the synthesis of benzhydrylamine derivatives in enantiomerically pure form have been developed. N-Acetylbenzhydrylamines can be synthesised in few steps and good yields starting from 1-aryl-1-propargylamines. The key steps are represented by the alkene-alkyne cross metathesis reaction and alkyne-diene methylene-free tandem-metathesis reaction; these reactions have been performed under microwave irradiation in a few minutes and high yields. N-Acetylbenzhydrylamines have been also converted in both enantiorners of the antifungal agent bifonazole, emphasizing the importance of these compounds as scaffolds for the synthesis of biologically active compounds in enatiopure form. ((c) Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2007).