In this communication, we developed a new procedure for the direct carbonylative transformation of benzyl amines. Using dimethyl carbonate as the solvent, methyl 2-arylacetates can be produced in good to excellent yields from the corresponding primary, secondary, and tertiary benzyl amines with palladium as the catalyst. Notably, no base or any other additive is required here. In addition, our procedure can also be applied in the preparation of methylphenidate, which is a marketing drug and used in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and narcolepsy.

中文翻译：

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无添加剂条件下钯催化苄胺的羰基化直接转化

在此交流中，我们开发了一种直接进行苄基胺的羰基化转化的新方法。使用碳酸二甲酯作为溶剂，可以由相应的伯，仲和叔苄基胺（以钯为催化剂）以高至极佳的产率生产2-芳基乙酸甲酯。值得注意的是，这里不需要碱或任何其他添加剂。此外，我们的程序还可用于哌醋甲酯的制备，哌醋甲酯是一种销售药物，用于治疗注意力缺陷多动障碍（ADHD）和发作性睡病。