Mild Divergent Semireductive Transformations of Secondary and Tertiary Amides via Zirconocene Hydride Catalysis

The mild catalytic partial reduction of amides to imines has proven to be a challenging synthetic transformation, with many transition metals directly reducing these substrates to amines. Herein, we report a mild, catalytic method for the semireduction of both secondary and tertiary amides via zirconocene hydride catalysis. Utilizing just 5 mol % of Cp2ZrCl2, the reductive deoxygenation of secondary amides is demonstrated to furnish a diverse array of imines in up to 94% yield with excellent chemoselectivity and without the need for glovebox handling. Moreover, a novel reductive transamination of tertiary amides is also achievable when the catalytic protocol is carried out in the presence of a primary amine at room temperature, providing access to an expanded assortment of imines in up to 98% yield. Through slight procedural tuning, the single-flask conversion of amides to imines, aldehydes, amines or enamines is feasible, including multicomponent syntheses.

Base Metal Catalysts for Deoxygenative Reduction of Amides to Amines

The development of efficient methodologies for production of amines attracts significant attention from synthetic chemists, because amines serve as essential building blocks in the synthesis of many pharmaceuticals, natural products, and agrochemicals. In this regard, deoxygenative reduction of amides to amines by means of transition-metal-catalyzed hydrogenation, hydrosilylation, and hydroboration reactions represents an attractive alternative to conventional wasteful techniques based on stoichiometric reductions of the corresponding amides and imines, and reductive amination of aldehydes with metal hydride reagents. The relatively low electrophilicity of the amide carbonyl group makes this transformation more challenging compared to reduction of other carbonyl compounds, and the majority of the reported catalytic systems employ precious metals such as platinum, rhodium, iridium, and ruthenium. Despite the application of more abundant and environmentally benign base metal (Mn, Fe, Co, and Ni) complexes for deoxygenative reduction of amides have been developed to a lesser extent, such catalytic systems are of great importance. This review is focused on the current achievements in the base-metal-catalyzed deoxygenative hydrogenation, hydrosilylation, and hydroboration of amides to amines. Special attention is paid to the design of base metal catalysts and the mechanisms of such catalytic transformations.

Selective reduction of formamides to O-silylated hemiaminals or methylamines with HSiMe2Ph catalyzed by iridium complexes

The reaction of (4-methyl-pyridin-2-iloxy)ditertbutylsilane (NSitBu-H, 1) with [IrCl(coe)2]2 affords the iridium(iii) complex [Ir(H)(Cl)(κ2-NSitBu)(coe)] (2), which has been fully characterized including X-ray diffraction studies. The reaction of 2 with AgCF3SO3 leads to the formation of species [Ir(H)(CF3SO3)(κ2-NSitBu)(coe)] (3). The iridium complexes 2 and 3 are effective catalysts for the reduction of formamides with HSiMe2Ph. The selectivity of the reduction process depends on the catalyst. Thus, by using complex 2, with a chloride ancillary ligand, it has been possible to selectively obtain the corresponding O-silylated hemiaminal by reaction of formamides with one equivalent of HSiMe2Ph, while complex 3, with a triflate ligand instead of chloride, catalyzed the selective reduction of formamides to the corresponding methylamine.

Amine synthesis via transition metal homogeneous catalysed hydrosilylation

This review summarizes the preparation of amines involving homogeneous transition metal catalysed hydrosilylation including reductions of imines, amides, nitro and nitriles, reductive aminations and N-methylation of amines with CO₂.

Mild and selective Et2Zn-catalyzed reduction of tertiary amides under hydrosilylation conditions

Diethylzinc (Et2Zn) can be used as an efficient and chemoselective catalyst for the reduction of tertiary amides under mild reaction conditions employing cost-effective polymeric silane (PMHS) as the hydride source. Crucial for the catalytic activity was the addition of a substoichiometric amount of lithium chloride to the reaction mixture. A series of amides containing different additional functional groups were reduced to their corresponding amines, and the products were isolated in good-to-excellent yields.

Direct catalytic N-alkylation of amines with carboxylic acids

A straightforward process for the N-alkylation of amines has been developed applying readily available carboxylic acids and silanes as the hydride source. Complementary to known reductive aminations, effective C-N bond construction proceeds under mild conditions and allows obtaining a broad range of alkylated secondary and tertiary amines, including fluoroalkyl-substituted anilines as well as the bioactive compound Cinacalcet HCl.

Platinum-Catalyzed Reduction of DMF by 1,1,3,3-Tetramethyldisiloxane, HMeSi2OSiMe2H: New Intermediates HSiMe2OSiMe2OCH2NMe2 and HSiMe2(OSiMe2)3OCH2NMe2 and Their Further Chemical Reactivity

The use of Karstedt’s catalyst to study the reduction of Me₂NCHO (DMF) by the popular “dual SiH”-containing tetramethyldisiloxane, HMe₂SiOSiMe₂H (1), has revealed that the first step in the process involves an initial single hydrosilylation to form HSiMe₂OSiMe₂OCH₂NMe₂ (3). This intermediate is readily isolated and purified via distillation. In the continued presence of the catalyst, 3 transforms to the transient tetrasiloxane HMe₂SiOSiMe₂OSiMe₂OSiMe₂OCH₂NMe₂ (4), along with the formation of Me₃N. The tetrasiloxane 4 itself transforms to Me₃N and (Me₂SiO)_n (n = 4–6). Despite the demonstrated reactivity of 3, it can also be used to perform the expected metal-catalyzed hydrosilylation chemistry of the SiH group as well as reactions of the SiOCH₂NMe₂ functionality involving siloxane chain extension and is thus an important new reagent for siloxane chemistry.