I found a somewjere somewhere where amines are prepared from alkens in a liquid phase of acetone with a 10:1 ratio of amine to alkene. the acetone serves as a photocatalyst and a solvent. the amine is any ammonia or secondary amine. Metals from Hg(type family) groupe can also serve as cocatalysts. the anhydrous solution is then irradiated with a xenon strobe. Amination takes place. Product is a mix of mono di and tri aminated product. Hg was to be used as a cocatalyst. the example in the patent used ethylene for the alkenewith (aq)ammonia and acetone. no cocatalyst. and produced mono ,di, and tri ethylamine I believe yeilds were around 70 someting?? Rxn is caried out below 10.c and anywhere to as low as the freezing point of the alkene.when no acetone was used no product was observed. Will an Imine from Acetone and Ammonia not form under similar conditions. Could it be that the amine forms an imine with the acetone which then attacks the double bond of the alkene. Then is degraded by the light. Just can't see how with light that double bond is gonna be open for attack. no side products are mentioned. I suppose the Hg was to serve as a proton donor. really just brainstormin Dream it with anethol and methylamine???
VL_
