ChemInform Abstract: Reductive Amination Agents: Comparison of Na(CN)BH₃ and Si—CBH.

Chemicals from Biomass: Selective Synthesis of N-Substituted Furfuryl Amines by the One-Pot Direct Reductive Amination of Furanic Aldehydes

“…Reductive amination (RA) of carbonyl compounds (aldehydes and ketones) is one effective method to form C− N bonds, which involves an amine source (ammonia, primary, or secondary amines) and a reducing agent. There are two different approaches to perform reductive amination: (a) an indirect method (two steps) which involves the formation of an imine intermediate by nucleophilic attack of the amine to the carbonyl group catalyzed by acid sites, followed by the imine reduction using metal hydrides such as sodium borohydride, 9 sodium cyanoborohydride, 10 or sodium triacetoxyborohydride 11 (Scheme 2a) and (b) a direct method (or one pot procedure) in which the carbonyl compound, amine, and a reducing agent (generally molecular hydrogen) are mixed, and the in situ formed imine is reduced to the corresponding amine in the presence of a hydrogenating metal catalyst (Scheme 2b). When the indirect method is used, an excess of the hydride is required and consequently, large amounts of wastes including some toxic wastes can be generated.…”