Nucleophilic racemic amines have been synthesized utilizing a C7nC5x free-radical cascade reaction from a bis-allyl amine starting material. Being potentially useful organocatalytic bases as is evident from their screening in the Baylis-Hillman reaction, optically pure amines were also synthesized from optically pure aldehydes (-) or (+)-4. Bis-allyl amides under similar radical reaction condition resulted in C7n cyclized products. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.