Phenols were converted to their magnesium salts with the MgCl2–Et3N base system and subsequently reacted with Eschenmoser's salt, affording N, N-dimethyl substituted benzylamines in high to excellent yields. A series of mono N-substituted benzylamines were prepared in one-pot syntheses by ortho-formylation of phenols to corresponding salicylaldehydes, which in turn reacted with amines to imines. The imines were ...