The present invention provides methodology for carbon-nitrogen bond formation via vinyl or aryl amination. In the process of the invention, an sp
2
hybridized radical is reacted with an azomethine moiety to form pyrrolidine and indole compounds. The methodology provides a facile process for the synthesis of compounds having the pyrrolidine or indole subunit and is especially advantageous for compounds having acid or base labile functional groups andor is comprised of chiral centers susceptible to acidbase epimerization.