We describe an efficient method for the direct preparation of N-substituted aryl amidines from nitriles and primary amines. The protocol employs activation of amines by a strong base and provides greater access to a pharmaceutically relevant functional group. This synthetic approach tolerates deactivated nitriles, nitriles with competing substitution sites, and aryl amines.

A general procedure for the reductive coupling of N-tosylhydrazones with amines in the presence of Cu(acac)(2) and Cs(2)CO(3) has been developed. The protocol is very effective and chemoselective with various primary and secondary aliphatic amines, aminoalcohols as well as azole derivatives to give α-branched amines in good yields.

Urea, the white gold: The efficient synthesis of tertiary and secondary amines is achieved by heterogeneous gold-catalyzed direct amination of stoichiometric alcohols with urea in good to excellent yields. Via a hydrogen autotransfer pathway, the reactions of primary alcohols with urea give tertiary amines exclusively, while secondary alcohols selectively afford secondary amines.

A series of chiral N-phosphonyl protected α-alkenyl homoallylic primary amines were synthesized by asymmetric addition of allylmagnesium bromide Grignard reagent towards chiral α,β-unsaturated imines. Only 1,2-adduct was obtained for all the imines with good yields and excellent diastereoselectivities. The chiral auxiliary could be easily removed under simple conditions, giving free multiple fu...

Hydrogenation of nitriles to primary amines constitutes an atom-efficient and environmentally benign synthetic reaction. Herein we present a novel complex based on earth-abundant iron, and its application in the catalytic homogeneous hydrogenation of (hetero)aromatic, benzylic, and aliphatic nitriles to selectively form primary amines.