Highly efficient, base-catalysed, intramolecular hydroamination of non-activated olefins

The intramolecular hydroamination of a large variety of non-activated alkenes can be efficiently catalysed by small amounts of lithium bases, providing smoothly and in high yields the corresponding five- and six-membered ring heterocycles. Fused and bridged bicyclic amines, of varying ring sizes, can be readily prepared either by a sequential hydroamination process or by a tandem, double addition reaction.