“…The introduction of a nucleophile at the α carbon is usually achieved by starting from the corresponding acetate, which is quantitatively accessible upon treatment of the tertiary amine with excess acetic anhydride or, more conveniently, directly from the amine in glacial acetic acid. In this way, the NMe 2 moiety has been replaced by ammonia and primary and secondary amines ,,,,,,,,,,,, as well as phosphines, ,,,,,,,,,,, including heterocyclic species, ,,,,,,,,,,,− azides for 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions, carbon nucleophiles, ,, alcohols, , and thioles ,, as well as carboxylates ,,, and thiocarboxylates, giving upon hydrolysis the corresponding alcohols or thioles. Primary and secondary amines obtained can be transformed into imines, ,− ,,,,, amidines, , and amides upon treatment with carbaldehydes/ketones, formamides, or acid chlorides/anhydrides.…”