Copper-catalyzed decarboxylative coupling reactions for the synthesis of propargyl amines

When aryl alkynyl carboxylic acids were allowed to react with amines and aldehydes in CH3CN at 80 °C in the presence of 10 mol % CuI, the desired propargyl amines were formed in good yields. This coupling reaction demonstrated to work across a broad range of reagents including functionalized aryl alkynyl carboxylic acids, aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes, and cyclic and acyclic amines.